


Initialize Me

by Beelzebumons



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Space, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, M/M, Memory Loss, kaiba au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2018-12-30 06:18:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12102597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beelzebumons/pseuds/Beelzebumons
Summary: The solar system of Hyrule is a rather small, isolated one. As war approached, the people of Hyrule had come to separate their body and soul, storing their soul in memory chips and granting themselves the gift of immortality.In such a world, memories and souls can be transferred and modified at will. And as such, they are easy to lose sight of.Link awakens in a crater in the middle of a field on planet Hylia, with nothing in view but a giant cloud of purple smoke in the sky. Devoid of memories even of his own name, all that he has to help him is a locket with a picture of a certain Zora Prince whose name he cannot remember.





	1. Emptiness

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is the first fic I've ever written in my second language, also the first one I've written since like 2012  
> This is an AU based on an anime called KAIBA which you don't really need to have seen in order to read this, but I'd still recommend the anime itself cause it's amazing  
> Anyways here we go, and I hope you enjoy it!  
> By the way I've named this fic after one of the OST from that anime, which you should totally listen to

Link's eyes open slowly as the blinding light from above forces him to squint. His eyes feel dirty, dry, and the way they sting is only making him want to close them again. It draws out a few tears; desperately trying to get the dust out of them. He instinctively brings his hands up to his eyes to rub them, feeling the rough texture of dirt on his face. His vision is blurry, as if he just woke up from a deep slumber. He thinks for a moment that he simply fell asleep here, but the intense pain in his body tells him otherwise.

As his eyes adapt to the light all he sees above him is a gigantic, swirling cloud of purple smoke covering the sky; towering over him seeming like it could devour him, take him away to an unknown place if he looks for too long. It's a terrifying sight, and although it simply looks like smoke he feels a chill run through his entire body.

To ease his own fears he looks away, ignoring the cracking sound of his neck as much as he can. He turns his head to his left side, only to see several tall trees with homes of tiny birds chirping and staring at him. An uneasiness settles in, and he tries to look away. On his right side, Link sees a large field of tall green grass, one that looks mostly empty save for a few buildings that he can make out in the distance. Even though his surroundings look mostly destroyed, he can feel that this place is inhabited by other people as he sees some forms moving around in the distance. There’s sort of a heavy after-war atmosphere, and it’s only more prevalent when he sees some people working on reconstruction.

When Link notices that he’s lying down at a lower level than the normal ground, he realizes that he’s in the center of a crater. A bit of dust is still flying around him, threatening to get in his throat if he tries to open his mouth.

He squints again. Now that he thinks about it he doesn’t know about this place, does not know why he is here, and fails to remember who he is. He painfully raises a hand to stare at his palm, but nothing comes to his mind. A complete blank, as he only sees dirt and small cuts on his skin. He realizes he can remember basic things, like what a hand is and how his body works, but has no memory of ever existing before he woke up. Did he just appear out of nowhere?

He carefully tries to sit up as much as it hurts, he wants to know more. Slowly, he looks around and the field is even larger than he thought. Wide patches of grass have completely burnt away, and some buildings are blown up; destroyed beyond repair.

Despite the darkness the cloud brings to the sky he can tell that it’s still day. He doesn't dare to look up at the monstrosity that covers the sky again, but he still somehow feels the heaviness in the air, the dread and anxiety that come with its presence. He almost hears low whispers coming from it, voices of creatures from the air and he feels his stomach twisting. That cloud is certainly not natural.. His mouth feels dry and he coughs, grimacing when he notices particles of dust flying out of his mouth. He's still wearing clothes, a blue tunic decorated with white symbols, white trousers that feel a bit too big around his waist, and he notes that they are completely ruined. They are covered in dirt and the fabric is teared everywhere. He would most likely need to throw them away, if he finds anything else to wear that is.

There's something dangling from his neck, something he feels when he raises a hand to his chest. Instead of looking down and inflicting more pain on his poor neck, he catches it and brings it in front of his eyes. The natural coolness of metal is relieving some of the pain in his burning hands. All he sees is what seems to be a silver necklace with a round pendant hanging from it. Not wasting any time to open it, he notices a picture inside.

A picture depicting a... person? Creature? Looking directly at him. His face is a pale blue, and sharp teeth are showing in a dashing smile. His yellow, piercing gaze like topazes could be terrifying if he weren't smiling so brightly and sincerely. Covering the sides of his face, Link can notice some fish-like fins, a bright red with an old battle scar on the one that he can look at directly. Where his forehead starts seems to be the head of a hammerhead shark with a pointed front. Its tail is hanging behind his neck and back, one dorsal fin on the top of his head, and the other further down on the tail. The creature is wearing intricate silver jewelry adorned with blue gemstones and a blue feather on the top of his headpiece; making him look like royalty and taking Link’s breath away for a short moment. He can clearly see his face, but Link can't remember ever seeing a creature like this before. Why does he have this picture around his neck?

Interrupting his thoughts, a gentle voice startles him. He turns his head a bit too fast, and he feels like electricity is running through his neck; making him grimace in pain. He finally notices the woman standing next to the crater, staring at him with wide eyes - large, shiny green ones stay unblinking as she runs a hand through her long, blonde hair to tuck it behind a pointed ear. It's only then that Link notices by bringing his hand to his own ears, that his were the same as hers; pointed and extending to the sides with rings hanging from the lobes.

She drops the rusty sword she was holding in her hands, seeming like she was about to use it for defense until she saw who he was. She walks over to him in quick but hesitant steps and crouches down next to him, a gesture to show him that she's not a threat. Extending her hands, she looks unsure whether she should touch him or not, so she retracts herself before speaking.

"Are you alright? Did you fall?" She asks worriedly, speaking with a thick accent from...somewhere? He notices how messy her hair and clothes actually look but he's in no position to judge he thinks, as he probably looks ten times worse. He tries to speak, only managing to make a single "Aah" sound. For a reason unclear to him, he can't speak like she does. He puts his hand on his throat, a bit of panic rising in his chest and the woman's question forgotten.

"You-You can't speak, that's fine. I'm sorry. I'm going to ask you several yes-or-no questions and I'd like you to answer by nodding or shaking your head, how does this sound?" She asks while clasping her hands together with a smile to try and reassure him.

Link nods - at least he understands her language. Somehow, she seems to already know that he wouldn't be able to speak. He stares at her blankly while waiting for her first question.

"Are you badly injured somewhere? Do you need urgent medical attention?" She asks, her voice trembling while she searches for injuries with her eyes, not daring to touch him.

He shakes his head. His body hurts a lot, but he's not bleeding anywhere and he knows he hasn't broken any bones. Which seems... miraculous, if he fell from so high up.

"Do you... remember your own name?"

This is a harder question. There's more he wants to ask in return, am I supposed to have one? He thinks to himself as he shakes his head again, hoping it would lead them somewhere.

The woman lowers her face too look at the ground, unsuccessfully hiding the distressed expression across her features. After a few seconds of silence, she raises her head again to look at him with a faint smile on her lips.

"I'm sorry, I should've introduced myself first," she says as she extends her hand to him for a handshake, which he somewhat remembers the significance of. "My name is Zelda, I am the princess of planet Hylia, which is where you are right now."

There is a small moment of silence again while Link just stares at her incredulously. Zelda coughs to fill it, rubbing the dirt off her white dress. Link notes the red marks on her knees; she probably tripped on the ground a few moments ago.

"Well, I probably don't look like that much of a princess right now," she justifies as she tries to fix the pitiful braid in her messy hair. "It has been quite difficult for all of us recently, ever since the war against the calamity happened which almost destroyed our home. I'm grateful for what we have left." She stops, and her expression shifts as she realizes something. "Forgive me. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about."

Link feels a heaviness to his chest. All he can give is a weak smile to try and communicate that he's sorry, though. This time, she extends her hand to help him get back on his feet.

"Can you walk? If you'd like, I can show you around and explain what happened? We can provide you with a room, some clothes, and something to eat." She says in a gentle tone, reassuring Link that at least he has a place to stay. That's one thing he doesn't have to worry about, at the very least.

Link nods and takes her hand as he gets up slowly but surely. They walk for a few minutes, when in the distance Link can see a castle that seems to have been mostly reconstructed. Some of the towers around it are still broken in half, though. He looks around as much as he can, taking note of everything he doesn't know about the place. The ruins in the field, the wild horses galloping in the distance, and other people walking around gathering fruits and plants. It's a rather long walk through the ruins before they can reach the castle, and Zelda instantly guides him to a dining room. It's decorated entirely in beige with tall curtains hanging from the walls, and Link makes sure to look around as much as he can while Zelda asks another person to bring him a meal.

Link isn't actually that hungry though. The pain in his body makes him feel like he's more ready to throw up rather than eat but he won't reject something from a princess. He’ll have to make an effort.

They sit face to face around the table,  Zelda resting her elbows on it and briefly holding her head with her hands as if she were trying to organize her thoughts. Finally, she looks at him and rests her hands on the table, slightly shaking. Her nails are short he notices, and he can tell they’ve been bitten. He directs his attention back to her face when she inhales to speak.

"It might seem a bit insane to you," she begins, her trembling voice slightly echoing into the room. "But the truth is, I already know you. I have known you for about ten years, in fact. Yet you don't seem to remember me."

Link looks at her apologetically. No matter how much he tries by staring at her or searching in the back of his mind, he has no memory of her. As far as he knows, it’s the first time he’s ever met her. He wishes he could talk, but decides it's probably best that he lets the princess finish her explanation anyway.

"Your name is Link,” she continues, and it's something that takes him by surprise. He has to accept the name though, at least it'll make him feel like more of a person. “You were assigned to be my appointed knight ten years ago, but since then we grew to be more like siblings. We... we were supposed to fight Calamity Ganon together, alongside many other people from other planets. We succeeded, in fact. Ganon, the one that once took over this solar system to steal our memories, was sealed away and we took the kingdom back from him. There were many casualties though, but they did not die in vain. We will now live more peacefully than ever."

This is a lot to process for Link who just listens carefully, deciding he will have to think about it again later when he's alone. It does seem like a war recently took place here, and he wishes he knew what exactly happened. But anyone could be telling him about any story, and he would have no choice but to believe them - It isn't like he has anything to say to contradict them.

"I do not know what happened, or how it happened,” she continues, “But you seem to have fallen through that cloud of smoke. It's a poisonous cloud, with no other purpose than to eat the memories of anyone that passes through and breathes in. Being one of Ganon's creations, we thought it would disappear after his fall, but… I suppose those things take time." She explains with a faint, forced smile on her face. Link notices that some tears are welling up in the corner of her eyes which she quickly wipes away before taking Link's hands in her own.

"Link, you've been my friend for so long,” She continues, sorrow filling the sound of her voice as she tries to keep eye contact. “Such a memory loss is so brutal and unexpected.  It's almost like I lost you like I lost my father months ago. My hope is that I can somehow help you to recover at least some of your memories in any way I can."

His heart stings. He realizes he can't truly feel the empathy that anyone would feel in this situation, but it’s difficult when he doesn’t know the person in front of him. Still, he is thankful for the princess’ kindness and hospitality. He smiles and nods in thanks, and as she releases his hands, the person from before comes in with a plate of what seems to be mushroom rice balls and places it before Link. The food is slightly steamy, and he nods in thanks as he quickly takes a bite of one of them. He realizes he loves the taste and texture of it, even though his stomach is really not in the mood for food.

"This isn’t much, but those were your favorites," Zelda says softly while watching him eat, her chin resting on her hands. "I understand if you cannot eat all of it. After a fall like the one you had, it must be hard to swallow anything."

She’s right. The knot in his stomach made him hope that he would only need to have one bite or two, so he is thankful for that. After eating a little more, a yawn escapes him - he's exhausted, but that gesture was most likely impolite in front of the princess. A sheepish smile forms itself on his lips as he blushes. At least if Zelda notices it, she doesn’t mention it.

"I can take you to your room. All your belongings are still in there..."

There’s an abrupt stop in her sentence as she looks at the pendant that he has around his neck. He takes it as a silent request to see what's inside, and he opens it to reveal the picture he saw before meeting her.

"I-I see.” She stutters with a troubled look on her face. "Do you perhaps... know who this person is?"

Link looks at the picture again, seeing for the second time this creature smiling at him. He tries to remember something, anything, but nothing comes through his mind. He draws a complete blank and shakes his head in response.

"Link, I should tell you about him later when you're well rested. For now, please follow me," She says as she leads him into a corridor. They settle in a comfortable silence during the walk to his room, and once they get there Zelda gives him a key.

"This has been your room for a long time now," She says as he takes the key in his hand. "Please make yourself at home. If you need me for something, or if you suddenly remember anything, ask the guards and they will guide you to me. There is also a bathroom you can use whenever you please. Rest well, Link."

He nods as she waves goodbye for the day, letting him close the door without locking it. He didn't notice while he was in the dining room, but now that he looks through the window of his room he can see that the sky is darker than before; not that he can see much of the sun with that swirling cloud above them anyways.

He looks through his room hoping that it will remind him of anything. He notices that its decoration is very similar to the other rooms in the castle, with an enormous circular bed with thick covers in the center. The room is lit up with strange star-shaped lights that seem to glow naturally when it's dark. He sees a sword, a shield, and diverse pieces of armor that he can hardly believe belong to him. Was he really a knight? Did he even know how to use all this? Did he really participate in defeating the one called Ganon that the princess was talking about?

A flood of questions overwhelms him. Who was he? What was his personality? He starts looking for some kind of diary, some writings from himself, but in vain. Maybe he wasn't the type to write about his own life and feelings.

Unfortunately, the room doesn’t tell him about himself as much as he'd like it to. He drops on the bed, defeated and instantly notices the mirror on the wall in front of him. He gets back up, straightens his body, and can now finally take a good look at himself.

He looks about the same age as the princess, and the same height as well. His hair is a slightly darker blonde and tied in a messy, low ponytail. He takes note of his pointed ears adorned by shiny teal rings and his sky blue eyes. His lips are slightly chapped, and he looks at the rest of his body as he undresses, ready to throw his clothes away. He’s slightly muscular, a lot less than what he expected considering the fact he's a knight. But the battle scars covering his torso, arms and legs only confirm what the princess said about him.

He stops moving abruptly after turning around slightly, noticing a strangely shaped scar on the base of his neck. It looks like some kind of bite mark - It's healed, but the skin was most likely pierced. The size shows it comes from a larger mouth, maybe one of a monster? He doesn't know what he used to fight as a knight and he starts wondering if he might encounter foes again. If he has to defend himself, he hopes his fighting instincts will come back in time. He runs his finger around the teeth marks, his fingers feeling like ice on his skin and making him shudder. He decides to not think too much on it; there are much more important things to remember.

There's an urgent need to bathe now. He’s still covered in dirt and a hot bath could possibly ease his pain, he thinks. He removes the pendant from around his neck, looking at it one more time just in case, and places it on his nightstand.

The bathtub is circular like his bed, surrounded by all kinds of soaps, hair products, and elixirs. He doubts he could need that many. He turns on the faucet, trying to find how to change the temperature of the water but it seems to adjust on its own depending on the room and his own body's temperature. Trying to not think too hard on how this works, he waits for the bathtub to fill and dips his body inside. The hot water and blue, blueberry-scented foam feel heavenly on his wounds. Some calming music starts playing from somewhere inside the room, a few slow piano notes accompanied with the sounds of birds chirping and cicadas among other relaxing noises that could be heard in the heart of a forest. It almost makes him want to fall asleep in the water. It creates a peaceful atmosphere around him, and he decides to relax for a while.

After a nice, long bath he comes back into his room; a towel still around his waist. He feels even more tired, too tired to even bother drying his hair. He sits down on his bed, and this time notices a book on his nightstand with the words "Sign Language" written on the cover. Was he never able to talk? Had he lost his voice during battle? Those are questions for another time, he thinks as he opens the book to quickly look through it.

After looking at some of the pictures and the texts, the first thing he can remember comes to his mind; he remembers how to sign. If he had learned this as a child, then it would only be logical for him to remember it as much as he remembers how to read a book.

He starts practicing some sign language expressions while looking at the mirror; to make sure he really remembers most of it. It all seems to come back naturally somehow, and he looks at his hands with a sigh of relief. It would now be a lot easier to communicate with the princess, at least he hopes. She would need to understand sign language, though Link doesn't doubt that she can if they had been friends for so long.

After about ten minutes of practicing excitedly, he feels so tired that he could fall asleep on the spot. He removes the towel around him, puts on a pair of boxers he finds in his dresser and gets under the covers of his bed. They’re naturally warm, and they feel light enough on his body for him to not feel overwhelmed. After a few seconds the lights turn off and he can feel a pleasant smell coming to his nose, potentially coming from the covers. Something like apples mixed with cinnamon; it's almost like it's healing his soul while he stares at the ceiling, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

As he indulges in the calming sensation, he can feel his eyelids closing as the night draws him into a peaceful slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy thank you for reading chapter 1! I hope you guys liked it! I'm gonna be editing the rest of it and post the chapters as they're completely done, so I'll see you next time!


	2. Departure

Link wakes up with the sound of a bird chirping outside his window, and he gradually remembers the events from the day before. The pleasant smell from the previous night is either gone or his nose got used to it, but he's certain it made the pain from his fall almost completely fade away. There's not much planned for him today as far as he knows, but the excitement of having to tell Zelda about his signing has him leaving the bed as soon as he feels alert enough to.

He gets up, walks over to the bathroom to wash his face in the sink. His situation isn't exactly the best but he can't help feeling a lot better, almost relieved somehow. He brushes his teeth, and dresses with whatever he finds in his drawer. To keep it casual, he wears a simple pair of brown trousers with a beige cotton shirt.

A quick glance is given to the silver pendant on the nightstand, and Link considers it important enough to keep it as a comfortable weight around his neck. Who knows, perhaps the person on the picture is around here somewhere.

As he opens the door and looks around he sees one of the guards, who smiles brightly when he sees him but quickly replaces it with a simple bow of his head. Link returns the polite gesture and almost runs to the dining room. He is _starving,_ and he would love a nice breakfast - hopefully the princess won't hear the growls of his stomach if he crosses her path.

But Zelda is already there waiting in the dining room, and she smiles softly as she sees him. He bows his head as a greeting and walks over to her excitedly.

"How are you today, Link? Did you sleep well?" She asks, looking up at him with exhaustion in her eyes. She most likely hadn't slept at all, judging from her appearance.

He nods, and he tries to think of something to say so he can show her. But there's only thing that comes to mind when his stomach is aching for something to fill it.

_I'm hungry_.

There’s a slow realization that this was definitely not something to say directly to a princess, so he blushes and almost slams his palm onto his forehead. He already hates how clumsy he is, and he wish he could stop making a fool of himself constantly. Her reaction makes him forget about his own stupidity, though.

Zelda is staring at him, stunned as she's slowly realizing what just happened. It comes with a smile, a wide and honest smile that he hasn't seen on her a single time since he met her the day before. She clasps her hands together, almost laughing too.

"You remember! You remember how to sign! Thank Hylia, I'm so happy!

Her enthusiasm is contagious. Link is nodding excitedly, thanking the Goddesses that she's able to understand him. He's... not sure what he could say next, but the silence is broken by the princess once she speaks again in a gentle tone.

"Do you perhaps remember anything else?"

There's a fear that he might disappoint her this time. His gaze turns gloomy and he shakes his head slowly. Maybe she thought that he would completely recover his memories overnight, but... It seems a lot more difficult than that. A feeling of guilt washes over him once again, something that twists his stomach and blames him for not being able to remember before the princess' gentle voice interrupts his thoughts.

"That's alright! Remembering how to sign is already an amazingly huge step. Maybe after the course of several days you will be able to remember a lot more, don't you agree?" She asks, not a single hint of disappointment in her voice. He sighs in relief, grateful that she’s being so patient.

"You're hungry, aren't you? Wait here, I will ask for the cook."

He sits down as she runs to the kitchen. He doesn't know what he's about to have for breakfast but since they're close friends according to Zelda's words, she probably knows what he likes. Not that he remembers exactly.

It's a bit awkward to find himself alone in such a room. As he looks around a little more, he rubs the back of his head and feels some sort of bump at the top that's not supposed to be there. It seems like a piece of metal stuck to his skin, or sinking further down his head...? He fiddles with it for a few seconds before a bit of panic settles in. He may have forgotten almost everything, but he sure remembers that having a piece of metal _implanted in your head_ isn't normal in the slightest. He wants to get up to ask the guards where the princess is, why he's feeling this thing on the top of his head. Could it be the reason why he forgot everything?

Instead, he freezes in place. Now that he’s aware of the tiny object’s presence on him, he’s almost afraid to move - What if it detaches itself? He's certain now that it's touching a part of his brain, and he knows that it's usually bad news. He almost tries to speak when the princess finally comes back in the dining room, looking out the window instead of him.

"Your breakfast will be ready soon." She muses while Link tries to catch her attention by waving his hands. In panic, he forgets how to sign the exact words so when she turns to face him, his fingers reach the back of his head to tap around the small unidentified object.

_What's this?_ He eventually manages to sign roughly as Zelda stares at him for a moment, the confusion visible in her eyes.

"What's wrong? Oh- You mean your memory chip?" She asks, but it raises more questions than it answers them. He simply tilts his head and raises his eyebrows. A _what_ now?

"It's alright! Please remain calm," She comes to him and takes a look at the back of his head, parting his hair to check the piece. "I should have known that you would forget this too. You're not in danger, it's almost normal to have these nowadays." She tries to reassure him as best as she can.

A skeptical look settles onto Link's face, his gaze following her as she goes back to sit in front of him. "It started a few years ago," she begins. "Scientists came up with a system that allows us to separate our body and soul. If your body is damaged and unusable, your memory chip still contains your soul and it can be taken out and put into another body. To put it simply, as long as your chip is intact, you can't really die. It's amazing isn't it?"

It's hard to share her enthusiasm after such a wave of panic. Though he’s... rather impressed about the fact that technology made them capable of achieving something near immortality. And she’s saying it like it’s a _natural thing_ , but Link knows there’s still so much he doesn’t know. The princess finally turns around and presents him the back of her head.

"Look, I have one, too." She parts her hair and he stares in awe as he can clearly see a piece of metal stuck in the back of her head too. It certainly looks clean, but he shudders in disgust when he imagines the princess having a hole _drilled_ inside her head. He has no idea if that’s how it worked, but well... He realizes he would rather not know at all.

He leans back onto his chair, and Zelda continues. "The both of us have converted very recently, as we thought it could be useful... The power of that cloud you fell through is to completely wipe away memories. We thought this system would prevent this, but unfortunately, it doesn't change anything."

He's a little calmer now that he knows and he sits back onto his chair, the new information leaving him a bit confused. His thoughts are interrupted when a servant walks into the dining room, and leaves a plate containing three crêpes with jam, fruits and whipped cream, a cup filled with a variety of berries, and a hot drink that smells like chocolate. Zelda looks at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry we don't have much to work with anymore, but I know you like these. Especially the wildberries." She smiles softly as a knock on the door can be heard. "Yes?"

A guard opens the door and looks at the princess worriedly. "Princess Zelda, a messenger wishes to speak with you," he says in a serious tone and a stern look on his face.

A frustrated sigh leaves her as she and gesture for the guard to leave. "I'm busy right now, can this wait?"

The guard's posture stiffens. "Pardon me for insisting, princess, but this is urgent. He comes from planet Zora."

Zelda's eyes widen as she looks at him, and the start of a reply catches itself between her pursed lips. She gets up, fixing her hair quickly and looking at Link with a sheepish smile.

"I will return soon. For now, please enjoy your breakfast, and wait for me here."

Planet Zora... The name sounds somewhat familiar, though he's not sure where he's heard it before. It sounds important though, so he simply nods and waves at her as she leaves. He doesn't mind eating alone for the time being. And she was right, the food is so deliciously _sweet_ , a perfect start of the day for his palate. No wonder he loved it before losing his memories.

His plate is finished embarrassingly quickly. He sits back and waits, fidgeting again with the piece of metal slightly poking out of his head. The skin around it feels like it was somehow glued back, but he doesn't really want to think about how they got it into him. It's an imagery that has him grimacing - perhaps it's better to stop touching it, if it helps its presence going unnoticed. This would probably take a certain amount of time to get used to.

He uses his free time to try and remember anything he can while he pokes at his empty plate with his fork. The food certainly tasted familiar in his mouth, but the memory is way too faint to be taken into consideration. There's a fear in the back of his mind that there isn't a lot more he can do to recover his memories, something that leaves his heart heavy with anxiety.

What will happen to him now?

After a few minutes, he is startled out of his thoughts by the sound of the door opening slowly. Zelda enters, and nods for a person outside of the door to tell them to follow her. A tall creature enters, and Link is sure it's taller than anyone he's seen since he woke up in that crater. It would be quite terrifying if it weren't for the worried and disoriented look their face displays.

Then it hits him.

Link opens his locket and compares the two alien creatures. They certainly look alike, like two fish-people except the one in front of him has green markings instead of red and his head is shaped differently. It's pointed only on the front, while the one on the picture has two pointed parts on the sides, and he's missing the dorsal fins. There's one thin, fragile looking fin hanging down from each of his forearms. He's also wearing silver jewelry, though it's a smaller amount than how much the person on the picture has. They are definitely similar, maybe from the same planet?

"Link," Zelda begins, catching Link's attention as he looks back at her. "He came here to speak to you as well as me. He is a friend."

Link stares at him and forces a smile as the taller man bows his head politely with a hand on his own chest.

"Good morning, Link. I am Ledo of the Zora. Do you… perhaps remember me?" He asks, and Link notices the hint of hope in his voice that pressures him to reply quickly.

But no, he doesn't remember. Link loses his smile, and the most he can give him is a shake of his head as he tries to communicate an apology. Did they use to know each other?

"I understand,” Ledo replies with a soft, disappointed sigh. “I know you fell through the purple cloud, so I expected this. You see, I come from a planet that is a neighbor to yours. We were always allies and helped the people of planet Hylia to defeat Calamity Ganon. I know this might seem unbelievable, but you landed here by falling from our planet."

Link's eyes widen. He wants to intervene but if that Ledo knows what he's talking about, Link will have to wait until he can finish his story before signing anything.

"There is an area on my planet that is relied to planet Hylia by a path of air. Planet Hylia's gravity pulls anyone and anything that comes close to this place, and forces them to fall down, to get their memories eaten by the cloud." There's a sinister tone in his voice that has Link's soul feeling heavy.

Ledo pauses and hesitates as he glances down to the pendant that Link is still clutching in his hand. "I came here because I think there might be a way for you to recover your memories."

His heartbeat starts accelerating. It’s a strange feeling since he knows how empty of memories he is, yet he doesn’t remember the void ever being filled in the first place.

But people know him. They know who he was, and he wants to remember them too. He places his hands on the table and focuses all of his attention onto the Zora.

"May I see the pendant you have around your neck?" Ledo asks, and Link opens it immediately. Ledo looks at it closely, his expression unreadable.

"This... is the prince of planet Zora," he continues with a weak smile. "His name is Sidon. It is likely that you do not remember him, but I am certain that he holds the key to recovering your memories. Don't you agree with me, your majesty?"

Zelda looks down and holds her hands together, a hint of sorrow in her eyes. "Yes... I was going to bring it up to Link today, but I was not sure if it should come from me. I am glad you came to us, Ledo."

Ledo gives her a smile and looks back to Link, who finally decides to react.

_I want to see him_ , he signs.

Ledo sighs with a soft laugh escaping between his sharp teeth. "I am sure you do," he replies, "but we have a problem. Prince Sidon has gone missing during the night. Our planet is not very big and countless of Zoras have been looking for him, but no one has found him as of now. I am starting to believe he has gone to another planet. Link, forgive me is it is too much for you, but I am here because I would like to start a personal research, and I want to ask you to help me find him again."

This is his chance. Link nods rapidly without thinking, but he knows he doesn’t have a choice. If he wants his memory back, he has to try anything that presents itself to him. _When are we going?_

"If you do not mind," Ledo continues "we can leave today, as soon as possible. I know you just got here, but this is an emergency situation and I truly believe you are the only one that can help us find him again. You used to know each other, and I think that meeting him could help you remember."

Link looks at Zelda to ask for her approval. After what she's done for him, he wouldn't want to go against her will.

Zelda nods, though. "I only wish for you to get your memories back, and I know it will work. You are free to go wherever you please, just... be cautious."

Link gives her a gentle smile, grateful for her understanding. He gets up on his feet, looking at Ledo in the eyes as he waits to be told about what he must do.

"You're going to need to bring some clothes, so I suggest you go prepare yourself and pack your belongings first. When you are ready, please come see me in the hall, I shall be waiting for you."

Link nods with a smile and runs immediately to his room. There, he prepares a bag with different clothes he can find in his drawer, his bathing products, a few elixirs he doesn’t know the effects of (you never know), and the sign language book just in case he needs it.

He stops for a while to think again. He had learned the name of the man on his pendant, but this doesn't tell him _why_ he has it. For an unknown reason there's a feeling of emptiness, a cold thought telling him that he _should_ remember, that he's worthless without his memories. He's met people that already know him, but he doesn't feel anything. It's all gone with the cloud of smoke.

He hopes meeting the Zora prince is going to make him remember something, _anything_ even though his picture doesn't awaken anything in him either.

As he stares into nothing, he notices he’s been spending way too much time sulking in his room. After throwing the last pile of clothes in his suitcase, he leaves the room to meet Ledo and Zelda in the hall.

They are waiting for him there, and Ledo has his hands resting on an enormous wooden case settled on the floor. They smile at each other, and Link lowers his curious gaze to look at the case before Ledo catches his attention.

"Before we go, there is one more thing I need to tell you," he starts, "You see, someone in the domain manipulated prince Sidon's memory chip, and messed with its contents. They modified certain things and removed parts of it, but this is the first time anyone had ever done this kind of experiment. We have no idea what effect it had on him, and what he exactly remembers. That's why he is potentially in danger right now."

Link stares at him, his brow furrowing in irritation. _Why would someone do this to him?_ He signs.

Ledo looks down and closes his eyes, thinking for a moment. "Some people thought it would be a good idea to remove 'bad' parts from his memory. Obviously this was an awful decision, especially considering it was done without his consent."

For now, Link only knows about Sidon's face. Yet, a feeling of compassion overcomes him. They're not exactly in the same situation but Link can understand how hard it must be for him, especially if he's alone. Had Link been alone when he came to his senses, he would’ve been completely lost too.

"That's why, Link," Ledo adds, "Since you used to know each other, I do not know how he is going to react to seeing you. I think it would be best if you tried to approach him using a fake identity."

Ledo carefully opens the case at his feet, and Link curiously walks a few more step to look inside. His heart jumps in his chest when he sees that inside the case lies the body of a tall woman. Her skin is brown, and her hair is of a natural red color, styled into a bob cut. Her clothes are colorful and light, seemingly fit for the desert. She looks a lot different than the people from planet Hylia, and by looking at her more he could say that she looks like she's sleeping peacefully.

He realizes she's not breathing.

"Don't worry, Link," Zelda tries to reassure him when she notices his nervous frown. "This is the body of a woman from planet Gerudo that we found near a shrine around here. The body is not dead, but we don't know what happened to her memory chip, and we came to the conclusion that you could use her body to disguise yourself. She probably switched her body to another one for specific reasons... All we need to do is put your memory chip in her head."

Link is a bit terrified of the idea, to say the least. He gulps and looks at the body again as his stomach starts twisting. Did he use to do this kind of things frequently? It does seem like a rather extreme measure, but he had already decided that he would do anything if it could lead him to his lost memories. He nods quietly, a gesture that still doesn't manage to let his stress go.

"I'll help you," Zelda says. "You just need to sit down against the wall and I'll do the transfer. It won't hurt, so don't be afraid. You might not remember but you did this a lot before Ganon was defeated; for infiltration missions for example."

Link, not too reassured by her words, sits on the floor and leans against the wall anyways. He watches as Ledo is pulling the woman out of her case with some difficulty.

"Lower your head a little, please." She says as gently as possible to help him find reassurance.

He does what he is told, and he can feel Zelda parting his hair to touch the metal piece on his head. His level of stress goes through the roof as he hears her fiddling with it and it's the last thing he remembers before the light leaves his vision, letting him black out completely.

~~~~~~~

He opens his eyes again naturally, his back still against the wall, his gaze meeting Zelda's own as she's crouching in front of him. He gives her a questioning look.

_I'm ready, you can do it whenever you want._ He signs, and Zelda giggles. "It's already over, Link."

A bit skeptical, he takes a look at his hands. His skin is a lot darker, and he feels a lot taller than what he's used to. The realization that he's switched bodies finally settles in, and it feels... Different than what he expected. Zelda was right, the transfer came with no amount of pain. He feels something unusual though, and he instinctively brings his hands to his own chest, making Zelda blush and laugh. He's... certainly not used to having breasts.

"I know you're not used to having those... parts, but please don't do that in public!" She says with a smile. He's ashamed of himself once again for acting like an idiot in front of the princess, but she doesn't seem to mind. He thanks the goddesses that they were close friends.

He gets up slowly, realizing that he has to look down to talk to her now. He's about the same height as Ledo, though. Maybe still a bit shorter. A simple look on his left has him letting out a gasp; His original, lifeless body is sitting against the wall with its head hanging down and its mouth parted. It's a pretty troubling vision and thankfully, Zelda seems to notice his discomfort. To help him clear his mind, she asks Ledo to help her put Link's original body in the case.

"We will bring your original body with us," Ledo begins. "You will most likely need to switch back at some point."

There doesn't seem to be any other way, even though Link isn't too comfortable with the idea of carrying his soulless body around like luggage. He focuses his gaze on his "new" hands again. The Gerudo woman's jewelry is still on his fingers and his long, almond-shaped nails are even painted a dark green color... Is he supposed to maintain that?

There's no time to waste, so they quickly say goodbye to Zelda, exchanging smiles and encouragements. A small spaceship stands right outside the castle, and Ledo leads them there.

"Since the purple cloud appeared above planet Hylia, they stopped sending travel ships from here to other planets, so we have to use my private ship. We're going to stop at planet Zora to take a public spaceship to another planet."

Link nods, and they get inside the ship. It's not too small on the inside, there's room for the both of them and their belongings.

"It's pretty fast," Ledo says as he starts it up. "So we should arrive on planet Zora in about three hours. Are you ready?"

He hums in agreement, and sits in his own chair. It's still hard to wrap his mind around everything that's happening, but well, he has three whole hours to process it.

"By the way," Ledo adds, "You're going to have to use a different name. We learned that the Gerudo whose body you're using is named Lukan. What do you think?"

Link thinks for a few seconds. He's going to have to get used to this as well, but at least it's kind of close to his own name...? He nods as the ship lifts off the ground and flies up, closer and closer to that purple cloud that has caused him so much trouble.

"Do not worry about it, we're protected by the ship. It won't do anything to us." Ledo tries to reassure him, but uneasiness pools in the pit of Link's stomach as the cloud swallows them, and he closes his eyes. His pendant is held tightly in his closed hand.

He really hopes something good will come out of this.

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter!! I hope you liked it!


	3. Little Dream

When Link dares to open his eyes again, the ship is above the cloud and everything around him stops feeling real. His body feels lighter, and it’s almost like he’s in a dream realm. When he looks out the window he can see distant planets in an immense decor of stars and abstract blue lights, dancing and undulating like sea snakes through the cosmos. He finally relaxes slightly as Ledo sets his ship on autonomous mode to planet Zora and leans back in his own chair, sighing deeply. A few minutes of silence pass before Ledo turns his head to face Link.

"We will have to sneak in on my planet," He begins. "I do not want anyone asking me questions about who you are, and I am sure you don't either. The only one that will see us is my friend Fronk, who works at the lab with me. He probably has more information about prince Sidon's location now."

_ Why didn't you disguise yourself like I did?  _ Link signs to him, a question in his head that had been bothering him since he had to switch himself. Ledo seems quite troubled by the question, and he purses his lips as he brings his hand to the back of his head to tap on it.

"I haven't converted," he starts, "My body and soul are still connected to each other. People pay a lot of money to do it since it is such a complicated process."

Maybe the question was too personal. A bit of guilt settles in the back of Link’s mind, which Ledo notices so he quickly tries to brush it off with a wave of his hand.

"You know, I do not think I would do it even if I had the means to. I am... not really fond of the concept." He doesn't explain his opinion any further, and Link doesn't pry. It seems a bit normal that certain people wouldn’t feel comfortable with the rather unnatural concept of having their soul separated from their body. Instead, he tries to change the subject.

_What are we supposed to do when we find the prince?_ He signs, and Ledo reaches for a strange device on his right that he presents to Link.

It… looks quite like some kind of gun. Though it has no trigger, only buttons on the side and a handle in the back. The material it’s made of looks rather plastic-y, and its green color gives it even more the appearance of a toy. Despite the thought that tries to reach Link’s brain, he knows for sure the Zoras would never hurt their prince, so what could it be…?

Link stares at the object with curiosity, and Ledo presses one of the buttons. All that comes out from the end is a single ray of light, which the Zora aims away from them.

"This is called a Stasis apparatus. Do not worry, it was not made to hurt anyone. When you aim the light at someone, time stops completely for them and they freeze in place. Once they're in that state, the apparatus also allows the user to enter the person's memory space and read it as they wish. You just have to aim the light into their eyes to turn them back to normal."

_ We're going to use this on him?  _ Link asks, eyeing the strange device and wondering what the process looks like. Is this even legal? It does sound like an invasion of someone’s privacy.

"I do not like doing this, but we have to. This is the only way we can try to organize his memory again. Not only we will be able to read it, but we will also be able to remove the anomalies that are in there. Though I promise I will not look at anything that seems too private," He adds with an awkward smile. It’s a strange tone to use in such a situation and Link simply raises his eyebrows, deciding to let it go.

Ledo takes the next few minutes to explain how the device works. It’s rather simple, surprisingly; anyone with a brain could use it without problems. The Zora finally settles it back down, and they both sit back to enjoy the scenery while they move through the cosmos.

The flight allows them to both relax and sleep a bit more. They are close to planet Zora now and Link can see it from the ship’s porthole. From what he sees, he deduces the planet is mostly made of water. Strangely, the lakes and oceans glow with a light blue. A few pieces of land seem to be inhabited, though: He can somewhat make out a few weirdly-shaped buildings in the distance. One of them looks like a giant fish sculpture…?

From what he’s been told, he's been there before. He still doesn't remember anything though but a familiar sensation hits him, like déjà vu. There’s not much he can explain from it, but it should be a start to something else. He almost tells it to Ledo but decides against it in the end, preferring to focus on the sight in front of his eyes.

A large statue of another Zora stands in the distance, something that he only notices when Ledo lowers their altitude near what seems to be a city. He can't quite see its details, so he signs to ask who the statue is supposed to represent.

"Oh, this is Lady Mipha. She was Prince Sidon's older sister and was supposed to be the heir of the throne. However, she was taken away along with her soul during our battle against the great calamity. You used to know her as well, and she always wished to support you and the Hylians until the end. May she rest in peace." Ledo replies, a light trembling in his voice.

A heavy feeling crawls along his back as an unknown sadness fills him like a flood, and he asks himself questions that he doesn’t dare asking to Ledo. Did she sacrifice herself for him? Why did he have so many connections with the royal family of the Zoras?

Before he can sink back into his sorrows, they finally land in front of a small building while another Zora is waiting for them at the door. The armed Zoras in the nearby city seem agitated, probably still looking for the missing prince and anxiety starts rising in his chest too. Link stays on his guard when the other Zora approaches him, not sure what to expect from this one. When they finally leave the small ship, the Zora smiles at them shyly and bows his head to Link.

"Link," Ledo begins while putting a hand on the other Zora’s shoulder. "This is Fronk. He is my coworker at the lab, and my friend. We're going to stop here for a bit before we go to the station."

Link bows his head in greeting. Most Zoras seemed to be very tall by nature, which would be far more intimidating to him if he weren’t disguised as a taller woman. Fronk looks very similar to Ledo, except slightly shorter in height. He has black markings instead of green, and the fins on his arms are longer. One could assume they were siblings.

"It is nice to see you again, Link... Though you must not remember me," Fronk says, stuttering slightly mid-sentence.

Another one that he can’t remember. Link knows he can't blame them, though he is almost tired of hearing the same sentence over and over. He remembers nothing, no one, and it doesn't help his discomfort with the situation. Goddesses, he wishes he hadn’t let himself fall like this.

"Please come in, I wouldn't want you to get cold," He adds, and Link does realize that the climate is way different on this planet than back on planet Hylia. Plus, his Gerudo clothes don't cover much of his body - They seem to be made to endure hotter climates. A shiver passes through him as they enter the laboratory.

The room is bigger than it appears on the outside, somehow. It’s quite disorganized and full of devices that Link doesn't recognize, aside from the Stasis apparatus which Fronk owns as well. Something hiding under a desk catches his eye: It’s a package filled with tiny identical cone shaped metal pieces that he recognizes. They're memory chips, but it’s rather concerning that they have that many.

He hopes that they’re empty, at least.

Aside from that, the laboratory seems like a harmless enough place. They probably mostly work on maintenance.

However, the center of the room catches his attention. A large tank of water takes up a lot of space, and he is a bit disappointed when he sees nothing inside. Its walls are relied by wires to other machines, some kinds of computers. Its oval shape and depth definitely makes it look like it was made for someone to get inside. Is it supposed to be a bed for Zoras?

The thought is quickly put aside when Ledo and Fronk start talking together as if he weren’t there.

"How is your wife feeling, Fronk? Is she still resting?" Ledo asks, a worried gaze on his face.

Fronk gives him a reassuring smile. "Mei is resting in the other room. Her wounds have healed, but she is still extremely tired and in shock." He looks at Link, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. "Link, it is thanks to you that she's alive. You saved her during our fight against the calamity."

Finally, something he can feel good about. He has no clue who Mei is, but some kind of relief washes over him anyways. He smiles and it warms his heart a little, a welcome feeling after his negative and pessimistic thoughts.

"Link, I have to be honest with you," Ledo adds. "Some of the Zoras have started to hold very... hostile feelings towards Hylians. You see, it's a known fact that your people have started the fight against Calamity Ganon. Although we won, our kingdom lost dear Lady Mipha and King Dorephan.  They consider it to be the Hylians' fault, but Fronk and I are your allies. Many other Zoras are trying to fix the bond our two kingdoms used to have. You have to be careful to not let your identity slip through while we're here."

He nods in understanding, not very surprised by the statement. He doesn't really feel unsafe here, as long as he's around these two and that he's disguised as a completely different person.

"So," Fronk begins, "I have learned from the others that Prince Sidon was seen last night around midnight by a foreigner at the station, about to board a ship to planet Rito."

Ledo frowns and looks down. "What is he  _ doing _ ?" he mumbles, irritated. "Does he not even remember who he is?"

Fronk just shrugs and opens a list of the flights in the day that they could board to join him to planet Rito. "Anyway,” Fronk continues, a clawed finger pointing to one of the flights displayed. “That is where you two are going to go. It's a nine hour flight from here, so I hope you are ready for that..."

Ledo sighs deeply. "Obviously. Will you be able to contact us from here?" He asks.

Fronk's voice drops in volume. "I'm afraid it's going to be difficult, but if I load one of the communicators for it, it should be ready in a few days. I'll be able to make one short video-call with you."

After a few more explanations from Fronk, the three of them head to the station so he can send them off. They get a few suspicious looks from other Zoras, whose curiosity seem piqued upon seeing a Gerudo on their planet. From what he’s heard, Planet Gerudo is very far away from theirs and considering the difference in climates, it’s probably uncommon for its locals to travel all the way here.

Link and Ledo are soon ready to board the ship as Fronk stands there, looking to them with a smile and wave of his hand.

"Good luck out there. And Link," Fronk suddenly takes a stern look, almost frowning. He stares right into Link's eyes, pupils narrowing to thin lines.

"Please help our prince. He needs you." He pleads, as if it were a matter of life and death.

This request leaves Link's mouth hanging, unable to come up with anything to say. He stares at Fronk for a moment, a flood of questions overflowing him but he is interrupted by Ledo catching his wrist as he tugs with force.

"Hurry up! We're going to be late!"

And before Link knows it, they're both on the ship sitting in the main room. The walls around them seem roundish, and a few large portholes open the view to the scenery outside. The artificial lights give the room a pink hue that almost hurts his eyes.

Many travelers are gathered here, mostly Zoras and Ritos who just sit  silently in pillowed chairs while the ship flies to its destination. From where he’s sitting he can look through the glass and see planet Zora becoming more and more distant, as well as planet Hylia and its cloud of smoke further away.

Link rests his head in his own hands and ruffles his hair, grumbling. He knows this is going to be a long trip, and he doesn't want to have to deal with nine hours of just  _ sitting.  _ He thinks about the case containing his original body. When will he be able to switch back? He doesn't necessarily hate the experience, but he wishes he didn't have to use the body of a woman with different body parts than his. It just makes everything more confusing and uncomfortable.

While he sulks, he can see Ledo pulling out a map of what seems to be some part of planet Rito. He lays it out on a table, a finger placing itself onto a specific point.

"We're going to land near the main town," he says while tapping at the paper. "In the most populated region of planet Rito, Tabantha. I think that is where we should start." He stares at Link's pendant for a second. "I forgot to mention this and you cannot really see it on your pendant, but Prince Sidon is… really tall. Way taller than me or anyone on planet Zora, aside from his late father. And I doubt any Rito even reaches his height. So... If we cross his path, it'll be impossible to miss him. I don't know how he's been hiding this whole time, to be honest."

Link stares at him blankly, his head resting on one hand. He’s heard what Ledo said, but honestly he’d rather find a place to rest alone for now – There’s way too much on his mind. He straightens his back to face him and he signs.

_ I'm really tired. Is there any place where I can sleep?  _ Ledo looks at him briefly and back at his map.

"Yes, of course. Here's the key to your cabin," he says, handing him a tiny pink key. "They have beds in there and we have a long way to go, so do not hesitate. I think I'll stay here for now."

Link nods in thanks and waves as he walks away. It’s nice to finally have some peace for a few hours, even if he’ll most likely just use it for sleep. His cabin gives off a pleasant vibe, and it even has a porthole too – He can see the stars and other planets far off into the void that surrounds them. There’s a single bed, its shape striking Link as quite unusual. It looks a bit like a hollow egg with pillows inside, big enough to accommodate him. Just by looking, he can tell it’s almost as comfortable as his bed back on planet Hylia. The pillows are so soft that he almost sinks into them when he slips inside.

Throwing a glance through the glass, he thinks of the prince again. There’s so little he knows about him, despite how important he must be to help him recover his memories. It sounds like they had a past together though, and he’s hoping that he will meet him soon to finally try and figure some things out.

A yawn escapes him, and it draws a tear at the corner of his eye. He wipes it away quickly with a finger, which just ends up colored with smudged make-up that the Gerudo woman was wearing. It only has him grunting in frustration as he buries in face into the pillows. He’s anxious about their trip, about meeting Sidon, about his reaction… Although he knows he really needs to stop thinking for a few hours.

As the bed almost swallows him up, exhaustion drags his eyelids down and he can feel himself fall into a deep sleep.

It's a strange feeling to him, when the next thing he sees is a world of blue and nothingness. His body feels light enough that it could be floating, and the distant voices he hears are repeating things he can’t quite understand.

It’s only one voice, he realizes. He moves his arms as if he were swimming to help himself move somehow, in whatever direction it feels best going towards. He catches sight of an unknown figure in the distance, and it only gets bigger the closer he gets.

He quickly finds himself right in front of it, and he’s pretty sure it’s almost twice his height now. His vision feels blurred, and he can only make out the outline of what seems to be a… Zora?

There’s an invisible wall between them, which Link uses as support as he places his hands on it. His vision slowly sharpens, letting some details appear in front of him until he can see a face.

The Zora prince.

Seemingly asleep, his eyes are tightly shut. He floats in front of Link, his chest heaving with every breath he takes through parted lips.

Link is taken aback by the impressive sight. The royalty of another world is completely vulnerable, and Link turns his hands into fists that starts banging on the invisible wall to wake him up. He forgets for an instant that he can’t talk – his mouth moves to call his name, and pain starts to claw at his throat out of effort.

The prince is here though, and it’s relieving to see but Link doesn't dare to smile before getting a response.

A whole minute of silence passes. Link starts to get desperate, the banging of his fists getting slower as less and less force is being driven into them. Once again, the voice from before breaches his thoughts.

_ "Link." _

This time, he recognizes his own name. The source of the voice is unknown, but he looks around. He can hear it again, distant and muffled as if he’s hearing it underwater. Or is it coming from his own head?

_ "Where are you?" _

The voice resonates within him, sending cold shockwaves through his bones and sending a panic right into him. He can’t sign if he can’t see where the other person is, so he looks in every direction before looking back to Sidon.

That's when a sharp, bright golden gaze peers into him, pupils narrowed to slits. Sidon’s eyes are snapped open, unblinking and it’s enough to send a violent shiver through Link’s flesh. A gasp escapes him, his own eyes focused onto Sidon’s own.

It’s mesmerizing the way he stares at him, his razor-sharp teeth showing ever so slightly through his parted lips. There’s something else resonating within Link now, another sentence the voice seems to repeat to him.

_ "Did you forget?" _

There’s an awful tug on Link’s wrist, something that breaks through the invisible wall with ease. The prince is pulling him in, his grip tight and desperate, and Link’s heart is pounding out of his chest, ready to burst at any moment. Anything that happens is beyond him now that his vision has turned to fog once again.

He prays in his mind to whoever can hear, though he’s not sure what for. He’s being pulled the other way by another force, one much stronger than Sidon now. Tightening his grip on the prince’s hand hurts more than it helps, but  _ no,  _ he refuses to let go of him.

Unfortunately, it looks like he doesn’t have much of a say in this. Link wants to yell, but his throat is too tight to even let him breathe. And soon, he’s forced to let go of Sidon's hand.

It’s the kind of dream that has him waking up in a cold sweat, his body jolting as if it had just hit the ground.

He forces himself to blink. It takes some time for him to realize that all the images he just saw are gone, that none of it had been real. And the more seconds pass, the less he remembers – though Sidon’s presence is there, in the center of a void of memories.

It does feel like a sting to his heart, though. Thinking about the prince only brings him frustration and melancholy, yet he doesn't know why. A dream might also mean nothing at all, and he can’t trust himself to know, because there’s just _so much_ he doesn’t know. It hurts, and he wishes he could go back to being unconscious for a few moments.

And so he does as he lets a few tears roll down his cheeks, his eyes locked onto the ceiling.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you for reading this chapter! It's a bit shorter than the first two, sorry about that ;;  
> But hey I hope you liked it! I'm really glad I can share this story with y'all


	4. Foreign Feeling

They finally arrive on planet Rito in the morning after a long trip, and their worries are temporarily replaced by amazement when they discover the place where they land.

Tabantha is a lovely region from what he can see. It’s inhabited by a large amount of bird people, their feathers brightly colored in all shades that could exist. They live inside cliffs; in holes that they had made to nestle themselves into. There are ropes slung between cliffs that face each other; warm clothing hung onto them. The Rito had made great work of adapting themselves to the landforms, and Link can only hum in wonder as he gazes at the colorful creatures that fly above them carelessly.

It almost looks like it’s always been peaceful, with no trace of the war that had happened before he lost his memories. If he's been there before he doesn't remember, but the magic of discovering it all over again brings a warm and hopeful feeling. He stretches his arms out, relieving the tension in his body after their long flight as he walks away from the station, Ledo quickly following behind him.

"People at the station definitely saw Prince Sidon getting out of a ship, but they have no idea where he went. I suppose we'll just have to ask random people if they've seen him around..." He says while pulling out his map of the region.

Right, they can't waste any more time. Sidon is probably somewhere around here, and while his reasoning is unknown he most likely needs help. Link nods, and they decide to go ask around the most frequented place of Tabantha which happens to be a marketplace that surrounds Lake Totori, the largest lake of planet Rito. Many of its inhabitants frequent it every day, and the Rito village is situated around a tall, natural rock pillar in the center of the lake. It should be a good place to rest at if needed.

After renting one of the Rito's famous flying cars, they land close to the lake. The water is low at the bottom of the cliffs, and the area is surrounded with high pine trees. And where there’s no trees, there are shops and restaurants by the dozens. The mountaintops in the distance breach the clouds, their snow a pure white that reflects the sun.

Visiting the place sounds good, but Link knows they have other things to occupy their day with. They waste no time getting to work, asking the many civilians and shop owners about the Zora Prince while showing them his picture on Link’s locket. 

Asking around proves more tiring than Link had expected. He wishes there were more people to help them with it, but well, it would mean for the Zora royal guard to come here and he’s not sure that’s the best way to approach Sidon at the moment. 

Much to Link’s surprise, he attracts quite a lot of flirtatious looks and words from the people they encounter. He soon remembers his situation; well, Lukan  _ was  _ a beautiful woman. But right now he’s borrowing her body for his own interest and truth be told, he feels like an impostor. 

Later in the afternoon, they're pretty sure they've asked everyone they could find, and every shop owner around the lake. No one has seen the Prince around here. They're about to give up for the day until they notice someone in the crowd that just arrived, that they haven't questioned yet.

It's a large Rito man, his teal colored feathers ruffling with every pause in the song he plays on his accordion. The tips of his wings are colored in many hues, from orange to black. His beak is larger than the other Ritos, like one of a parrot. He wears two scarves at the same time, one white and the other green, and on the side of his face is a tiny headpiece composed of a wild flower and two red and white feathers. He stands out from the crowd, but he is a Rito nonetheless. Maybe a more exotic kind. They practically run to him, startling him in the middle of his song.

"Forgive our rudeness," Ledo starts, and the Rito just smiles as he lets his accordion relax into his... wing-hands? His feathers seem to work like fingers, and Link scratches his head at that.  "Have you by any chance seen this Zora somewhere around here?" Ledo asks as Link shows him the picture.

The Rito hesitates for a moment and looks at the picture closely. The feathers on the back of his head perk up as his eyes widen, and Link’s heart starts accelerating. Maybe this time…?

"Certainly," he muses as he analyzes the picture. "I have indeed seen him yesterday on mount Rhoam. In the pond, to be exact. He was just soaking in it, most likely trying to relieve his skin from the climate. He ran off as soon as he saw me, though."

"Was he with anyone else?" Ledo continues his questioning, finally a glint of hope showing in his eyes.

"No, he was completely alone,” he replies with a hum. “Pardon me, but are you travelers? If you want to go to Mount Rhoam, it is southeast of here, and there is the Tabantha Bridge inn right to the southwest of there in case you plan to rest. I suggest you take a flying car from here, it will be faster." The Rito man suggests with gentle eyes.

Ledo and Link look at each other with bright, victorious smiles and back at the Rito. Finally, they have  _ something.  _ If that's where Sidon has been this whole time, they can finally meet him there and talk to him. Link almost wants to hug the Rito in front of him, but he quickly realizes it could be a little weird.

"Thank you so much, sir!" Ledo laughs, "You've helped us a lot. May I ask your name?"

"I am Kass, of the Rito," The man finally says, taking his accordion again to hold it firmly. "If you need anything else, I would be glad to help you again as much as I can. May the light illuminate your path," he ends as he starts playing his song again.

They would love to stay to hear more, but they have other things to do. Thankfully, they’ve already rented a flying car and all they need to do is to head to mount Rhoam immediately.

It's a short trip to the mount by car and they finally arrive at its base, deciding it would be better to approach Sidon in a less nerve-racking way. They climb by foot calmly, trying to not make too much noise as to not scare him away. They reach the pond eventually, and they take a good look around themselves.

The Prince isn't here, but they have no time to be disappointed when they find all of his jewelry and other ornaments scattered around the pond. His bracelets and necklace, shoulder pads, headpiece, belt... They're all here, a proof that Prince Sidon really came here.

While the concern shows on Link’s face, Ledo doesn’t seem to be worried in the slightest. “He knows how to defend himself,” he begins, “There is no way he was taken away from here forcefully.” The reason why he left his ornaments behind was still a mystery to uncover, though. And they still need to find his exact location.

“He mustn’t be far away from here,” Ledo says, recovering from the tough climb. “All we can hope is that he didn’t run away from Tabantha. The other regions on this planet are extremely cold and hard to withstand for us Zoras. I doubt he actually went there, though.” 

Ledo starts picking up the jewelry, something that Link soon helps him with. He studies their design, the little tear-shaped stones that adorn it, waiting for it to remind him of something, somehow. But nothing comes to mind, as always, and he lets himself sigh deeply. 

"Should we stop for today?" Ledo asks, a worn smile on his face. "The inn is right at the base of the mount. We need to rest, so we can find him quickly tomorrow."

Link nods in response, and they carefully put the jewelry in their bags before climbing down the mount. The progress in their mission brings a bit of relief for Link, at the very least. Hopefully they’re close to finding him, so they can finally return to planet Zora together.

There’s a pause in his thoughts. Link isn’t sure why “together” is the word that comes to his mind. Obviously they’re bringing Sidon back to planet Zora, but what about himself?

Somehow, he feels like he has to go there too.

It sends his mind right back into a cloud of confusion. So far he's only been doing what he's been told, but why is Sidon the one who's supposed to help him get his memories back and vice-versa? Ledo mentioned them knowing each other, but he's sure the Prince knows  _ many  _ people. So why him?

They quickly arrive at the inn, heading to the dining room as soon as they’re there to satiate Link’s growling stomach. Ledo doesn’t eat much, though - instead he looks through the Prince’s jewelry, as if he were searching for some kind of clue.

But something is eating away at the Zora, and Link can tell from the gloom that has settled into his usually bright eyes. Ledo had already been acting strange on the way here, and the Hylian stares at him, waiting for some type of explanation until Ledo finally decides to grant it. 

"Link, I must tell you the truth," he begins, and Link’s shoulders become stiff with tension from the sudden change of tone. 

"I was ordered to manipulate Prince Sidon's memories. I'm the one who messed with it." He admits, and Link can tell his voice was heavy with regret.

But the anger is flaring in Link’s stomach, the incomprehension drawing a frown onto him. Despite this, he knows directing his anger towards Ledo would be unfair; He was only following orders, right? But who would ask for such a thing and  _ why?  _ What did Sidon do to deserve this?

"Since King Dorephan and Lady Mipha are gone," he continues as if he had read Link’s thoughts, "Prince Sidon is now the heir to the throne. But after the war, he refused to take their place for a few months. That’s why another Zora called Muzu took his place, he was Lady Mipha and Prince Sidon's teacher as they grew up. He… He was the one who ordered me to do it. He wanted to erase you from Sidon’s memory.”

Link raises his eyebrows.  _ Why? _

“Something… unexpected happened,” he replies, scratching the back of his head. “Muzu thought it would burden Sidon’s heart more than he can handle. It will only confuse you more if I tell you, you’ll learn about it on your own pretty soon.”

Link sighs, but he somewhat understands. He has to remember everything on his own, right? Or he would just end up with a chunk of information, not knowing what to do with it. How frustrating.

“But my inexperience with the process makes me believe that I might have messed up somewhere,” Ledo continues. “Maybe the Prince knows what we’ve done, and is trying to run away from us. Which is probably why he's roaming around the kingdoms, not knowing where to go. It is entirely my fault that we're here. I have to fix the mess I've made, but I know the only one that can really bring back his memory of you is yourself."

Link rubs roughly at the back of his head. This is too much, way too much – It leaves a fog in his mind that he can’t clear up. Who in Hylia’s name  _ is  _ Sidon? Why did he seem so present yet so blurred in his memories?

_ Wait a second,  _ he signs, and Ledo focuses his attention on him.  _ I don’t understand. Was I this important to him? _

Ledo smiles and his voice lowers in volume. "Oh, trust me. You were." And Link feels like his heart is being set aflame. "Just as important as he was to you."

Link feels a certain warmth raise to his cheeks, one he hopes Ledo can’t detect. Now that he thinks back on the picture in the pendant again, Sidon is... _very_ handsome for some kind of alien creature. He catches himself thinking that maybe, he doesn't mind if their relationship used to be what he's thinking for a brief moment. His heartbeat gets faster the more he thinks about it, but he knows he has to control himself and his emotions.

He can't let his thoughts wander too far, and he’s too afraid of seeming ridiculous to ask Ledo about it. The Zora hadn’t mentioned romance in any way, so what is he thinking? And perhaps Link is just jumping to conclusions at this point. Maybe they were just... close friends. Or something like that.

_ So you're betraying your kingdom by helping me?  _ He asks, to return to the main subject. Ledo tilts his head to the side, almost avoiding Link’s eyes. 

"Technically, yes. But I’m not afraid. I’m trying to help the Prince just as much as I’m trying to help you, after all. I think it’s more complicated than that, though. I don't know if Muzu regrets the decision or not. It all happened so quickly, and in such terrifying circumstances, I think that maybe… He wasn't thinking straight."

_What circumstances?_ Link signs rapidly, a bit frustrated that everyone is being so cryptic with him. He doesn’t have time to be playing riddles and is certainly not in the mood for it. 

“That’s all I can say for now,” He smiles, and Link frowns a little. "After all, you're going to get your memory back, I know it for sure."

Ledo’s optimism doesn’t reassure him as much as he would have liked. He sighs, trying to hammer the thought inside his head that everything will be fine. He _hopes_ it's going to work, that he'll stop being nothing like the way he sees himself at the moment - just an empty shell with only a few days of memories. He must look so _pitiful_.

_ I'm going to retire for the night,  _ he signs, the exhaustion pulling at his eyes after their long day of research, and Ledo just nods. 

"Sure. If you need me, I'll be staying in here for a while," he adds, taking out his tablet to work on things Link had never bothered to ask about.

With a bow of his head, Link walks out of the dining room. He stops at the public restroom, finding himself hesitating once again to which one he should be using. Men or Women? While he knows who he is, Lukan was a woman - what is he supposed to do in such a situation?

He sighs at the inconvenience. He’ll just go to the men’s restroom as he usually would, but as soon as his hand is on the handle, someone pushes the door from the inside. They almost fall down, and Link is quick enough to catch them in his arms before they can fall any further. 

It’s a Rito woman. Her feathers are of a plum color, the tip of her wings a pure white like the snow in the distant mountains. Her light pink hair is tied into a high ponytail, her yellow beak sharp and curving down, the tip black as if it had been dipped in ink. She's wearing what looks like to be traditional Rito clothing and jewelry, the wooden ornaments so big they seem a bit heavy on her head. She is… certainly pretty for a bird lady.

As she gets back on her feet, her gaze peers into Link’s own. If she didn’t have feathers on her face, Link’s sure she would be blushing, seeing how difficult it seems for her to find her words. She lets go of him eventually, walking a few step backwards.

"I am so deeply sorry!" She stutters, and Link is rather thrown off by the sound of her voice. It’s deeper than what he imagined it could be. "I accidentally entered the men's restroom and, as soon as I noticed, I tried to get out as fast as I could to not be seen by anyone, but I tripped, and..."

Her words tumble out of her mouth as she tries to explain herself, but she suddenly stops when she takes a good look at Link, or at least, at Lukan. Something awkward settles in, and Link almost wants to run away for a moment.

"Were you... going in here too?" She asks, and Link just nods with a sheepish smile. Is he going to have to explain himself? 

The Rito woman laughs and asks, "Are you using a different body too?"

Oh, he gets it now.

Link giggles and nods in response. Just like himself, that Rito person in front of him is most likely a man, one that for some reason had to hide his memory chip in a different body. Their situation is quite similar, and it’s… a rather strange coincidence that they would meet.

He’s not sure what to say at this point. Perhaps the Rito didn’t even know sign language. How did Ritos even sign with wings like these…?

When they're both done using the “right” bathroom, the Rito stops him with a wing on his shoulder before they part ways.

"You know, I have not talked to a single person ever since I came here," he says. "You are the first one. Do you mind exchanging with me a little more?"

It would be better to give a name first. Link smiles as he takes his wing to gently trace his fake name onto it, hoping he would understand. The Rito just stares for a while until Link repeats the motion.

"L-U-K-A-N...Is this your name?" He asks, and Link nods vigorously. It’s not his name of course, but he has no clue whether Ledo agrees for him to leave his real name even to strangers or not. He tries signing, hoping the Rito will understand.  _ What's your name? _

All it earns him is a vague stare for a second, with a hint of panic on his bird face. Perhaps he didn’t know sign language. Link is about to try and ask differently, but the Rito starts stuttering as he puts his wing on his own forehead.

"Lukan... Is a strong name! Really fitting for someone like you," he begins hesitantly, and Link mentally sighs in relief. The Rito is scratching his feathers, the anxiety prevalent in his wide eyes. "My name, is… uh. Cecili! Right, Cecili!" He finally replies, and the nervousness in his speech has Link thinking he’s not even convinced of his own name. Or is he using a fake one too…? 

It takes an incredulous stare from Link for the Rito to laugh sheepishly, dropping his wings to the sides as he sighs. 

“Forgive me for acting in such a strange way,” He continues. "I do not remember much. Strangely, I know I should be running away in this situation, but I am not. You seem like such a nice person, and I have not talked to anyone in a while..."

There’s a hand - no, a wing taking Link’s hand in a soft gesture. It’s not that unexpected, somehow, but something different is playing at Link’s heart. Something distant yet so close, something so faint yet so present in his being.

Some sort of attachment, of appreciation roots itself deep into his mind. He had _just_ met that Rito yet his heart races against his will, and the feeling tries to draw them closer. It’s foreign, to him at least. He’s waiting for Cecili to say something, but there’s a flutter to his heart as the Rito releases his hand.

Something’s not right.

"Pardon me. I should go," Cecily finally says and he's about to walk away but Link stops him with a tug on his wrist - He  _ has  _ to show him the pendant. He’s holding it out, opening the locket to reveal the picture of the Prince.

And Cecili freezes in place. His feathers are flat against his body, his pupils narrowing as his talons curl hard, digging into the carpet. The air in the room feels like it turns cold, and Cecili’s presence only grows more intimidating by the second.

Despite it all, Link signs to him.  _ Have you seen the Zora Prince? _

A dead silence that seems to last  _ hours  _ settles in. Link was right, something was  _ wrong  _ and he’s not sure how he even guessed it. Cecili feels familiar yet unusual in some way, something that leaves Link disoriented through a vague feeling of longing. He’s about to raise his hands to sign again, but the Rito interrupts him.

"Why do you have this?"

Link doesn’t have time to answer. Cecili is already leaving, running off far into the hallway before he slams a door behind himself, leaving its sound echoing through the walls.

And Link could follow him. He could but he needs something first, he needs  _ someone _ , he can’t do anything on his own. His decision is quickly taken when he runs away to the dining room, the ice pooling in his stomach and his gut twisting.

Ledo is still there, raising his head to watch Link as he catches his breath in front of him. Despite his state, Link manages to sign.

_Is the Prince able to switch bodies like I did?_ He asks, and Ledo frowns slightly. 

"Obviously," he answers as he straightens his back. "Why? What's the matter?"

_ I think I found him. _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading yall! sorry this chapter is so short ;; if i remember correctly all the following ones will be longer than that. Anyway tell me what you guys think!!! I'm really excited to be sharing this story with yall even tho im a complete beginner as a writer lmaooo  
> Also I hope you like that cliffhanger B)


	5. Lonely One

Link's nerves feel tense in his body when he and Ledo arrive in front of the Rito's door. He knows for sure now that the “Cecili” he encountered a few moments ago was none other than Prince Sidon hiding in a different body. If they enter the room, they know they're going to confront him, to _finally_ know what's been going through his mind this whole time. It has Link’s stomach twisting as he swallows hard. What if he truly remembers nothing? What if he refuses to talk to the both of them?

Ledo hides the stasis apparatus in a bag around his waist. Of course, it would be a terrible idea to approach the prince with this in hand. Its appearance looks quite menacing, and even Link feels reluctant to use it on him.

"You should go in first, you're the one who just met him," Ledo whispers, and Link nods as he knocks on the door softly. There's no response, obviously, but strangely enough the door is unlocked. That doesn’t necessarily mean he should allow himself to open it, but well… They don’t really have a choice, if they want this whole thing to be over.

The smooth, round door handle feels cold against his palm as he slowly turns it. The door opens with a creak, revealing an unlit room with closed blinds. Quiet breathing can be heard inside, and Link decides to look. His gaze is met with the Rito’s one, eyes full of confusion and _fear._

"What do you want from me?" He asks, and the sound of his voice has Link shivering.

 _I'm here to help you_ , he signs as he walks over to him and raises his hands to assure him he's not hiding anything. He gently takes the Rito's wing again, who simply allows him while sucking in a breath. Soft fingers reach the ‘palm’ to trace a few letters, ones that the Rito reads aloud.

When he reads the letters ‘S-I-D-O-N’ as he follows Link's delicate movements, he lets out a long sigh that he seems to have been holding for this whole time. Link’s heart steadies its pace as he lets his wing go, waiting for some kind of answer.

"Yes. I think this is who I am," he whispers, his voice worn. Hearing a confirmation has Link’s nerves releasing their tensions, at least.

But the prince looks so, so terribly lost. Link almost wants to take him in his arms, to tell him that everything will be alright now, but he decides against it; Sidon supposedly has no memory of Link, and the disguise doesn’t help. They stay in silence for a few seconds, and Link looks back at the door where Ledo stands as he waits for a permission to enter. Link finally gives him a nod, watching as Ledo carefully steps into the room.

Sidon looks downright _awful_ now that his eyes show how exhausted he is. He might have not slept in a few days; Link isn’t sure what he’s experienced during that time, but it’s a relief that it doesn’t have to last any longer.

Sidon stiffens upon seeing Ledo enter. His feathers flatten against his body as he points to him, almost shouting in surprise.

“You’re Ledo!” His tone suggests that he tries to reassure himself, to be sure that he hadn’t forgotten _everything._ Ledo straightens his posture, giving him a respectful salute.

"Your Highness," he begins, "Why are you so far away from home?"

The words have Link wondering if he should address Sidon the same way Ledo does. He’s a prince after all, and the honorifics might be necessary. However, he lets Ledo do the talking for now. He’ll have to figure it out later, he decides.

"I do not want 'home'," Sidon snarls, and Link's heart stings in a way he doesn't remember ever experiencing. A silence heavy with guilt and regret falls around them, only to be broken once Sidon takes a deep breath.

"My dearly beloved father and sister are gone forever, and I can tell I lost some important parts of my memory. It is shattered, and I can only remember chunks of what happened a few months before and after the war against the calamity," He sighs deeply once again, resting his head against the front of his wings. "I am all alone. I feel like something was taken from me, and I _cannot_ remember what it is. I have to find it, but I do not know where to look."

Ledo's gaze is turning to Link, saying something with his eyes as he stays quiet. It's obvious that the state he's seeing his prince in has him troubled. Link simply watches as Ledo steps closer to Sidon, crouching in front of him before speaking again.

"If I say 'Link', do you feel anything?"

The words have Sidon’s head perking up, and Link's heart stops at that. Ledo had told him to keep his identity secret, yet he's flat out saying his name? He doesn't even remember ever meeting the prince before all of this happened!

Link stays still behind him, his fists clenched and his brow furrowing. Ledo might have other plans, but still - he wishes he would have spoken to him first about it. When he finally looks back at Sidon, the prince is staring in confusion.

"Should I feel anything?" he replies, a question directed towards the both of them. Link’s mind races in his poor, exhausted head, silent as a stone when Sidon looks to him with a dark questioning gaze.

Ledo looks to Link, giving him a weak shrug as he pulls away. "You were supposed to," he finishes as he stands back up.

“Tell me more, Ledo,” Sidon orders, this time his eyes directed towards the green Zora. “Do not leave me in obscurity.”

Ledo visibly stiffens, and he clutches the handle of his bag. “The answers you seek are not ones I am able to give you,” he lies, and Link swallows the bitterness that had settled in his throat. The prince seems too mentally tired to even question him further, though, and it’s somewhat relieving. Link isn’t sure he even _wants_ him to know who he is right now.

Ledo gestures to Link next to him instead, changing the subject. "Like Lukan said, she and I are here to help you get your memories in order. You see, Lukan here is amnesiac and has been holding this pendant with your picture ever since we met her, but she does not remember you."

This doesn't seem to awaken anything in him, aside from the surprise that a complete stranger would hold a locket with his picture on it. "What are we supposed to do, then?" Sidon asks, finally straightening himself back up.

And Ledo's eyes are searching through the room for something, though he doesn't seem to find it. "I would like to ask you one thing first. Where is your original body?" He asks, watching as Sidon gets up from the bed.

A good question. Sidon is using another person's body, and Link knows how it feels. Even though his experience with it is quite short, he's aware of the uneasiness that can settle in after a while when one starts to forget who they are. Sidon is looking at the door on his side, pointing towards it.

"In the bathtub," he says, "Someone helped me switch to this one, because I wanted to hide. I understand that it is useless, now."

"Do you want to switch back?" Ledo asks, "We can help you with that, if you would like. It might be a start to helping you finding yourself again."

Sidon sighs softly and nods. "Yes, I would like that."

Ledo is the one to open the bathroom door. It’s quite easy to spot Sidon’s original body in there, hunching over itself in a bathtub filled with water. And Link’s eyes go wide – Sidon is _huge_. It takes many efforts from all three of them to carry it back inside the room before settling it against the wall. Sidon has his eyes wandering away from his original, lifeless body, and Link knows it must me a rather troubling sight.

Sidon soon sits against the wall as well, letting his head lower itself with apprehension in his movements. Link is thankful he’s not the one who has to do the transfer; the concept is still foreign to him, and he sighs mentally when Ledo searches through the feathers on top of the Rito’s head. He quickly finds the memory chip, and without a single warning, he takes it out.

It’s the first time that Link witness the process, and it’s even more disturbing now that the Rito woman’s body goes limp as Sidon’s soul leaves it. Unease settles into the back of his mind when he sees that the Rito woman’s eyes are still open, staring into nothingness as her beak hangs open. No sign of breathing is noticeable, from where he stands at least, and it truly feels like looking at death itself. But Link tries to not let this get to him – he knows they’ve been living like this for years with the soul transfers, and he’ll simply have to get used to it.

Who did that Rito body belong to anyway?

Ledo is holding the prince’s memory chip with extreme carefulness. Now that Link gets to look at it up close, he notes the simplicity of its appearance – It’s so _tiny_ it’s barely believable that it holds something so important such as life itself. Plus, its conical shape makes it easy for it to roll around, possibly escaping one’s grip if they’re too negligent.

And in no time, Sidon's memory chip is inserted in the head of its original body. A lump forms itself in Link’s throat as he watches him open his eyes, making a few movements to check the functionality of his body. Sidon finally gets back onto his feet and _Goddesses,_ he’s a giant _._

Link, disguised in a Gerudo’s body, is much taller than his original self. But he knows: Sidon is _definitely_ at least twice the height of Link’s original body. Even now, he has to look up to see his face.

Was this the height usually reached by Zora royalty? Either way, it’s ridiculous and _scary_. For some reason, Link finds himself wishing that he could go back to his own original body just to see what the real height difference is like.

Despite his… monstrous size, Prince Sidon seems to be a gentle being. He’s careful in his movements when he puts his lost jewelry back on himself, along with other ornaments like his navy sash hanging from his right shoulders, his decorative ropes and white cravat attached to his intricate necklace. He looks absolutely _splendid_ like this, and Link finds himself staring a little longer than he should. The heat rises to his’s cheeks once Sidon opens his mouth to talk, revealing the sharp and dangerous teeth, and Link stops himself – staring at someone’s teeth was definitely weird.

"This feels a lot better," Sidon says, looking at his own hands and feeling the sharp claws on the tip of his webbed fingers. This must be much more comfortable than the wings he had been using previously. "And now? What is best for us to do?"

Ledo looks down as he thinks, humming to himself. “You two are to go to planet Gerudo,” he replies.

Link looks to him, an eyebrow cocked. As much as Ledo had wanted him to be part of the plan, he doesn’t seem too keen on telling him what the _hell_ they’re supposed to do in advance. It honestly grows irritating.

"Your Highness, you’ve traveled there shortly before the calamity, but you might not remember it. As for you, Lukan, you come from there, so it's highly possible that both of your memories could be recovered there."

Sidon had probably traveled to planet Gerudo, but concerning Link, Ledo’s words are completely made up. If Link remembers one thing through the blurred and desolate ruin that is his soul, it’s that he’s a Hylian, not a Gerudo – Why in Hylia’s name would he come from there?

It’s probably a lie. Still, he has questions for Ledo that he decides to save for when Sidon isn’t there.

"There is a flight for you tomorrow morning,” Ledo adds, looking through his tablet. “And the trip is... the equivalent of a Hylian day long, so I highly recommend that you both rest for now. Nights on planet Rito are shorter, just as the days are.”

Link and Sidon both nod in agreement. There’s not much they can do aside from this anyway, is there?

Link and Ledo leave Sidon’s room eventually, and the Hylian is waiting until they’re far enough from the door so that the prince doesn’t hear them. With a bit more force than he expected himself to have, he grabs Ledo’s arm, forcing him to turn to him as he yelps in surprise.

"What was that for?!" The green Zora asks, soothing his own arm with his other hand. A hint of regret settles in – Link hopes he didn’t hurt him too much, at least.

 _Why would I find my memories on planet Gerudo?_ He signs rapidly. _This makes no sense, were you planning on explaining it to me?_

Ledo holds his palms out in front of him. "Please calm down! I was about to explain," he starts nervously. "I couldn't tell it to Prince Sidon right away, but I guess I can tell you. You and Prince Sidon both went to planet Gerudo before your fight against calamity Ganon. You went together."

Oh. That’s strange. _What were we doing there?_ Link asks, the frustration making it hard to move his hands clearly.

"Uh." Ledo is obviously hesitating, his lips pursing as he scratches the back of his neck. "I heard it was a vacation? I’m not… supposed to have the details. I just know the King allowed you to, since Ganon wasn’t going to do anything until we attacked first."

Links blinks, an immense amount of questions suddenly coming to him. A _vacation_? He went on a vacation with a _prince_? The more he thinks about it, the less sense it makes to him. But he had… speculated this earlier, and his silly theory that he was in some sort of relationship with Sidon somewhat brings itself closer to the truth now that he knows this. There’s no way he’ll just _ask_ for confirmation, though – Sidon didn’t even remember him for the time being, and Ledo still feels like a stranger.

But he can’t help noticing the warm feeling that makes itself known in his stomach, butterflies flying around incessantly while he chews at the inside of his mouth. He shakes himself off the confused state he’s just been in, feeling the friendly hand that pats his shoulder in reassurance.

"You're going to be fine, both of you," Ledo tries to reassure him, and all that Link can offer at this point is a weak smile as thanks.

And Ledo is rummaging through his bag, eventually pulling out the stasis apparatus he had been hiding. Right, they hadn’t used that yet and they probably need to. Link still feels reluctant to look inside Sidon’s memories, but well… If he has to, he at least hopes it will give him _some_ answers.

"Meet me here again in about an hour," Ledo starts, "Hopefully by then Prince Sidon will be asleep. We're going to get in his room and look into his memories." By the look in his eyes, Link can tell that he doesn't really want to do this either. It sounds so _private,_ and what if the prince finds out about it?

They both retire to their respective rooms, and Link expects to mostly sit and wait for the following hour.

Link sits on the edge of his bed as an oppressing feeling starts to eat at his heart again. Looking at his own hands for no reason, he notes that the once shiny and neat-looking green nail polish is now chipped here and there. It wouldn’t be much of a problem in a normal situation, but if Prince Sidon is vigilant enough, he could see this as suspicious and start doubting Lukan’s true identity...? Or perhaps Link is just being paranoid at this point.

Well, he doesn’t have new nail polish on himself anyway. And it’s not like he’ll find it on planet Rito – he supposes that bird people don’t exactly paint… their talons?

His original body is still in this box in the corner of his room. It’s become quite difficult to not lose sight of himself like this, as he starts mixing Lukan’s identity with his own. And he wishes he could switch back now; He wishes Sidon knew who he was, and well, he wishes he knew who he was himself.

It’s a thought that sticks itself to his mind for a while. He can hardly stop himself from thinking about the prince, about holding him in a tight embrace, about being carried by his strong arms and he at least wants to be himself when it happens –

He startles himself out of his thoughts. It’s quite embarrassing to admit what he’d just been thinking of; apparently, he had a thing for… ridiculously tall guys. And fish people. This time he decides against repressing the thoughts, though. Perhaps it could be nice to let his imagination flow as it wished for now.

Still, he buries his face against his palms as he shakes his head abashedly. That’s how it is, then.

The next hour, however short, is filled with various intrusive thoughts that occupy his mind for the time being. Link finds Ledo in the hallway, not too far from Sidon’s room. He frowns at him, crossing his arms upon seeing Ledo open the prince’s door with a key that was most likely stolen.

"Don't look at me like that," he whispers as to make sure that Sidon doesn't wake up. "How else were we supposed to get in?"

They open the door as silently as possible, and thankfully, the prince is sound asleep. Link closes it behind them, watching as Ledo takes out the stasis apparatus out of his bag. There’s an uneasiness floating through the room when he aims it at Sidon without warning, pressing one of the buttons on the side.

A single ray of light appears, falling on top of Sidon’s head. The prince freezes in place, as if time had stopped for him only. Another button is pressed, opening a large hole in the air next to his body. From what Link had heard, it’s some kind of portal that leads to Sidon’s memory space. Ledo is putting the device back in his bag, giving Link an apologetic glance.

"I doubt we'll be able to fix everything right now, it looks like a right mess from what i can see from here." Link feels his eyes become heavy while he tries to look at the details inside. It… looks like some kind of normal room, from what he can see.

"Listen, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. It's my fault after all," Ledo adds, looking to him with compassion.

But Link had given it enough thought. He has an idea of what he should be searching for, and truth be told, he’d like to see for himself. Besides, what if Ledo finds something compromising? He stops him with a hand on his shoulder to catch his attention before signing.

 _I want to go in,_ he begins. _Do you mind if I go alone?_

Ledo just stares at him, his eyes somewhat showing that it’s something he expected. He gives him a smile as he steps back, leaving Link standing in front of the portal. "Do as you wish," he replies, "After all, you might be the only one allowed to see what's inside."

It’s a rather cryptic statement once again, but Link just lets it go this time. His nerves tense up when he finds himself stepping into the hole, his feet landing on soft carpet in the memory space. Once finally inside, Ledo’s presence has vanished – not just Ledo, but the entirety of the outside world. It's just Link and Sidon now, in a way, though it’s not the kind of date he had expected he would ever have.

He takes note of the small room he lands into. It’s all painted in different hues of purple, the walls forming a perfect cube around him. The furniture is arranged like a bedroom, and a _messy_ one at that. The walls and ceiling are covered in pictures, some bigger than the others. Some are just lying on the floor, on the table. There's so _many_ of them, and Link notices that one wall is made of shelves containing a large amount of thick books. Some of them seem to be missing, but he quickly finds them on the floor as well, completely disorganized. It feels like the place was robbed.

Well, it kind of was, now that he thinks about it.

Various words are written on the walls in navy blue ink. From where he stands he can see the words "Mipha" and "Father" written several times in bigger letters, standing out from the rest. Some other words seem just as big as these, but they're blackened out in charcoal, making them unreadable.

Then, he decides to focus on the pictures, many of them depicting Sidon and his late family. A heavy weight presses onto Link’s heart upon remembering the prince’s words about having lost his dear father and sister. They seemed so close in the pictures, and the calamity took everything away from him. No wonder he feels so lonely.

But some other pictures seem… out of place.

A large amount of pictures stuck above the bed seem to depict Sidon with another person, someone whose face is hidden under strange circular bits of dark tape, almost like black holes.

But it’s easy for Link to recognize his own body.

All of the pictures depicting Link and Sidon together seem to have been manipulated. His face has been removed from Sidon’s memories, and… If he follows that logic, the blackened out words on the walls must be his name…?

With no warning sound, a new bookshelf appears out of nowhere near the entrance of the room. Link tenses up immediately as an entirely new book, thinner than the others slowly fades in inside the shelf. He’s too intrigued to leave it for later examination – He walks over to it, carefully opening the book to reveal only a few lines of text on the first page.

_"Ledo showed himself to me accompanied with a silent Gerudo woman named Lukan. They talked about helping me find my memories. They mentioned the word ‘Link’, something that sounds familiar yet very faint.”_

That’s all there is. The memories seem to write themselves in these books once he goes to sleep. There’s a resigned sigh escaping Link’s mouth as he flips through the empty book, before putting it back into the shelf.

But now that he turns back, something feels different. Some of the blackened out words on the wall seem to clear up, only to show the first letter. Link can make out an L.

There’s almost no doubt in his mind now. For some reason, Link’s name is written on the walls of Sidon’s memory space. And if it’s written as big as the names of his father and sister, it must mean Link was just as important to Sidon as a family member would.

It’s still something he has a hard time wrapping his mind around. Sidon is still a stranger to him to this day, and it goes the other way around. What in the world happened? Why was Sidon forced to forget about him?

At least, there’s a bit of relief on his poor heart upon realizing that exploring Sidon’s memory space seems to have a positive effect on him. If he keeps on, well, maybe the rest of the words will clear up.

He doesn’t know where to look now, though. He walks over to the older shelves, opening the thicker books. Link doesn’t have much time to read all of it, but flipping through it is enough to tell him that they’re written memories of Sidon’s entire life. There’s nothing mentioning Link in there, but the book is rather old – that could be the reason for it. Another book is opened, and this time most of the words are covered in stains of black ink.

With a frustrated grunt, Link tries to rub it off or to read through it, but it proves impossible. He’s looking at the pictures on the ceiling again.

Maybe he could fix these.

Stepping up on the bed, he extends his arms to reach a picture of what seems to be Sidon and Link together. With a frown and a determined force, he grabs a part of the black tape that he tries to rip off. He only manages to remove a small amount, though – it’s only teared, but he was right. He recognize his own mouth. The tape is most likely hiding Link’s face in every picture.

He decides to do that with all the other pictures he sees, hoping he’s making a bit of progress. A smaller picture is stuck near the corner of the room, strangely isolated. Link doesn’t even think about it – he rips off what he can, revealing the side of his face.

It’s a picture that depicts Link alone, though it’s seen from above while he lies half-naked on a bed. He’s sure his face is flushed red now, and he tries to imagine the situation that led to this picture appearing in Sidon’s memory space. What the hell. Those were Sidon’s memories?

He’s not sure how all of this works – it could be either a memory or a fantasy. Either way, it’s… rather flattering. He tries to push the thought aside for now; he doesn’t have time to be thinking about that kind of things.

There’s not much he can remove for now. He finally gets down the bed, and when his two feet land on the carpet, an entirely new vision assault his eyes.

“ _Link, I am going for a swim. Would you like to join me?” Sidon asks him, his voice warm and welcoming as he holds his hand out._

_Planet Zora is as beautiful as it ever was, luminous blue stones clearing up the pathways, the water in the lakes clear and shimmering. The prince before him only adds to the magnificence of it, with his silver jewelry slightly reflecting the beauty of the land. The warmth in his eyes brings him closer as he nods, trying to catch his hand -_

Link soon comes back to his senses, standing still in the middle of the room. This wasn’t a dream, he’s sure – it’s something that already happened. The single memory resurfaces, repeating itself in his head. No matter how hard he tries to remember more, it always comes back to this; The sight of Sidon holding his hand out for him, and Link trying to catch it.

There’s a fear that creeps along his spine now, that this memory could be forgotten as soon as it had come back to him. Is there anything he can do to prevent this?

His heart pounds faster in his chest. And there’s another heartbeat resonating in the room, most likely Sidon’s – it starts to race, synchronizing itself with Link’s own. Link finds himself swaying as he indulges in the familiar warmth, his body light and his lids fluttering. It’s almost whispering to him, some words he can hardly understand despite their sweet tone. When he shakes his head to try and come back to his senses, the feeling lingers against his back like a caress. Despite this, he tries to focus to give one last look around the room.

Something else seems to be heavily concealed on the wall next to the bed. A small part of the wall is covered in several layers of black tape. Walking up to it, he examines it – it’s most likely hiding another word or picture. As he kneels on the bed, he makes use of his long nails to try and tug at the corners.

It doesn’t do much. The tape is stuck so well he almost breaks a nail. There might be something he can do about it if he came back with a knife, if foreign objects like these were even allowed inside memory spaces.

For now, there’s not much else he can do.

With one last look to the pictures, he decides to leave the memory space. He steps out of the hole, and Ledo is waiting for him outside, an expectant look on his face.

“So? How did it go?” He asks, trying to look inside the room from where he stands.

 _I removed some of the obstacles,_ Link signs, _but I think I have to go back later. It’s going to take some time to be fixed._

Ledo’s stare drops to his feet. “So it’s as I thought,” he begins, regret audible in his voice. “I really made everything difficult.”

Link wants to ask him what’s behind the block of tape on the wall, but he knows Ledo won’t answer. He’s already accepted that he will have to find out himself. He interrupts him with his hands. _I remembered something about him, though. Like some kind of flashback._

“I knew it!” Ledo exclaims a bit too loud, and he covers his mouth upon seeing Link’s frown. “By looking inside his memory space, I think you can recover some your memories. You have to try again as soon as possible!”

Ledo doesn’t ask what he saw, something Link is grateful for. It was a bit embarrassing, now that he thinks about it.

Link finds himself nodding in agreement. Ledo is taking out the stasis apparatus once again, aiming it back at Sidon’s head to undo it. With a tired sigh, the prince is back to sleeping peacefully as Link and Ledo quietly leave the room.

“That’s all for tonight,” Ledo whispers, and Link yawns with a hand in front of his mouth. “You have to sleep, tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

Right, they had to leave for planet Gerudo in the morning. It’s something he hadn’t expected in the slightest, and if he’s true to himself, he’s quite nervous about being alone with the prince for an unknown period of time. Not that it makes him unhappy.

Heading back to his room through the unlit hallway in silence, he hopes that his emotions and thoughts will still allow him to find some sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy thank you so much for following this!! We're halfway through the story now aaaa I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!! 
> 
> For those who don't know if you ever wanna chat im always on twitter @beelzebumons or on tumblr @mistylotl


	6. In Shards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I wanna thank you guys again so much for following this story <3<3 i just wanna warn ya that this chapter contains a little bit of sexual content its not much and its not explicit but just so you know !

 

Link wakes up from a restless sleep, the sound of a knock on his door startling him out of his senseless dreams. He knows he had only slept for about three hours, and his head is throbbing in pain as if he were hungover. 

The night had been difficult. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about Sidon again, about what he remembered and what he saw inside his memories. His mind had wandered to other places eventually, making up stories to kill some time while his body pushed sleep away despite his exhaustion. He had almost given up on sleeping at all. 

He quickly dresses himself with some decent Gerudo clothing he had bought the previous day. Why a Rito shop was selling Gerudo clothing is still beyond him, but he had been quite lucky.

Once he looks presentable enough, he opens the door. Prince Sidon is standing there, staring down at him with a warm smile on his face. He obviously tries to hide it, but the bags under his eyes show that he mustn’t have slept well either. 

“We are to leave soon,” Sidon says, “I suggest you get ready as quickly as possible.” His voice is somewhat strained, and he clears his throat quickly. 

Link nods as he smiles back, his gaze still tired after the sudden burst of his slumber bubble. Though he won’t say it, he’s grateful that Sidon is the first person to greet his eyes in the morning; He’s… quite pleasing to look at, honestly. Link notices his own heartbeat accelerating, and it’s taking him all he has to not shower the prince with compliments.

To avoid an awkward silence to settle in, Sidon walks away with a bow of his head that Link returns. He closes the door, going back to rummaging through his belongings to finish readying himself for the day-long trip. His stomach is already aching - spending so much time in a spaceship is something he’s realized he’s not too fond of. Well, perhaps he’ll be allowed to sleep.

It’s not too long until his luggage is ready, and he’s soon back in front of the inn to join Sidon and Ledo. The two stand next to the flying car, with Ledo holding a formal, straight back while the prince leans against the vehicle with his head hanging down. He’s  _ exhausted _ . 

“Are we ready to go?” Ledo asks, seemingly the only one that had a good night of sleep. It has Sidon’s head perking up in surprise, as if he had just dozed off right there. 

“ I suppose so,” Sidon replies, shaking his head around as he blinks the fatigue away. His eyes dart to the case containing Link’s original body, a curious glint in the golden of his irises. All kinds of questions can be read on his face, though he’s considerate enough to not ask what’s inside, and Link is grateful for that. The Hylian simply nods in response to Ledo, fidgeting with Lukan’s jewelry in nervousness. The jingly bracelets are  _ too  _ distracting. 

The prince gives a gives a flick of his tail, opening the door for Link like the gentleman that he is. Link replies with a sheepish nod in thanks, stepping inside the car. Sidon follows, making the flying vehicle wobble slightly at the sudden weight. It’s something that draws a toothy smile across his features, and he leans back into the soft backrest. 

Once each of their belongings are settled into the back of the car, Ledo moves to the driver’s seat. And without so much of a word, he starts up the engine and flies them away from the inn and towards the station. 

It’s only once they’re halfway there that the green Zora finally speaks, his tone somewhat nervous when he does. 

“I forgot to mention that I will not be coming with you two to planet Gerudo,” he begins, keeping his eyes in front of himself. “I have… things to do, back home. Oh, and truth be told, you will not be needing me over there.” He glances at Link through the rear-view mirror, expecting some kind of reaction that Link only gives with an acknowledging shrug. He’s fine with the arrangement, though he’ll admit it’s sad to see him go; they wouldn’t have come this far without him. Perhaps Ledo used to be a friend…? 

“By the way, you will not be able to enter their main town, they only let women in, and it wouldn’t really be wise to leave Prince Sidon behind, would it?” The green Zora asks, throwing heavy glances at the Hylian man disguised as a Gerudo woman behind him. Link’s brow furrows at him, almost wanting to swat him on the tail. He decides against it once he notices the confused stare of the prince directed towards him.

“Anyway, there’s a smaller town you can go to,” Ledo starts again. “It’s named Suma Sahma, a very touristic town. I’ll show it to you on the map later.”

Link sighs in response, giving a quiet nod while Sidon agrees with a smile. It’s not long until the two lean back in their seats once more, almost letting the sleep they hadn’t gotten catch them back. 

They’re soon at the station again, and a bit early before their flight. Link feels the nervousness tingling at his jaw when he sees the spaceship, the vehicle almost twice the size of the one they had taken to planet Rito. Sidon finds himself flipping through a few guidebooks about the desert planet, reading carefully through the language page. Link uses the time he’s not looking to discreetly sign at Ledo, trying his best to minimize the sounds of his bracelets as he does. 

_ When am I supposed to reveal myself _ ? He asks, and Ledo thinks for an instant. He glances at Sidon, making sure his eyes are still focused on the book. And surprisingly, Ledo signs back. Link was more used to verbal answers, but at least Sidon can’t hear them this way.

_ Wait a little more,  _ Ledo replies,  _ He's not ready. His memories are in shambles, and it would be better to wait until they reconstruct themselves. _

Link sighs, a bit frustrated with the answer. It’s what he’d been so impatiently waiting for, but now that he thinks about it, it sounds easier said than done. Even if he changes back to his original body, would the prince recognize him? Or would that only confuse him even more? He has to think about it first. For now he’ll be Lukan, at least until they reach their destination.

Ledo is working on his tablet while they wait for their flight, and the silence is interrupted by some kind of ringing melody playing from it. Ledo perks up, his teeth gleaming into a bright smile as he taps on the screen.

From what Link can see, it’s an incoming call from Fronk all the way from planet Zora. As soon as Ledo sees his face appear on the screen, he turns his tablet around until it faces Sidon.

“You found him!” Link can hear Fronk exclaiming on the other end of the call. He shifts to sit behind him, noticing the presence of a female Zora clasping her hands together next to him. Is this Mei…?

“Great work! How are you feeling, your highness?” Fronk asks the prince, his tone cheerful, though there’s still a hint of worry that hides behind a steady voice. 

Sidon stares at the screen blankly for a few seconds, almost as if he were trying to register that someone was talking to him. He finally gives a faint smile, letting his heavy eyelids fall for just a moment. “Disoriented,” he replies, “I am still missing some things, but Ledo seems to know how to help me and Lukan.”

Fronk frowns in confusion at that. An expression of panic covers Ledo’s face – Link has the reflex of waving at the screen to show that _he_ was supposed to be Lukan. When Fronk finally understand, he gives them a thumbs up that has Link giggling.

“I can’t stay on for long,” Fronk continues. “What are you going to do now?” He asks, and Link shortly focuses on the Zora woman at the black Zora’s side. Fronk had told him that Link had saved Mei before all of this happened, but he still can’t remember any of it - she feels like a stranger, just like everybody else. 

“I’m going back to planet Zora,” Ledo replies, “and these two are going to planet Gerudo. What do you think?” he asks with a sly grin, which earns him a laugh from Fronk and Mei.

But as Fronk is about to speak again, the sound cuts off abruptly and the video disappears. Ledo’s tablet goes back to its main screen, showing a pretty background picture of planet Zora scenery.

It leaves an emptiness in the air, one that has Ledo’s disappointment showing in his golden eyes. He lets out a resigned sigh, turning his tablet off; The distance between the planets most likely didn’t allow for very long calls.

They have to board the ship, anyways. While Sidon runs up the stairs, Link finds some time to talk with the green Zora alone. Leaving without so much of a ‘thanks’ would leave a bad taste in his mouth. 

_ I’m sorry that I’ve been a bit moody for the past few days,  _ Link signs, looking down in apology.  _ I’m still really confused. I really hope this all clears up soon. _

Ledo blinks, almost surprised that Link would apologize. He gives a weak shrug, smiling as his hand moves to pat the Hylian’s shoulder. “Anyone being dragged around with no memories would be moody, I believe,” he replies, putting the handle of his bag over his shoulder. “I know you’ll find yourself soon. Don’t hesitate to send a space messenger if something goes wrong, alright?”

Link nods to his words, giving a last smile to the Zora.  _ Thanks for bringing me here,  _ he signs.  _ See you around, Ledo.  _

Sidon and Link find themselves sitting in the main room of the ship, the sound of the engines starting up filling their ears as it floats up. Link leans back in his chair, sitting face-to-face with Sidon – he doesn’t remember ever being this nervous before. Well, it’s not like he remembers much anyway.

There’s no way to know what will happen over there, whether Sidon will truly find his missing memories or if Link will find his own. Link can hardly prevent himself from staring at the prince who’s still reading the guide, his honeyed gaze finally directing itself to Link as his tail perks up in enthusiasm.

“I forgot to tell you something!” Sidon exclaims, and he closes his book. “I had a dream about the name ‘Link’, last night, the one that Ledo had mentioned to me.”

Link can feel himself gulping. Perhaps exploring his memory space had led to this. To avoid showing that he knows something, he signs to him with a curious expression, though he’s not sure if he’s ever been a good actor. 

_ Did you learn something _ ? He asks as he watches Sidon’s tail droop behind his back. 

“I am afraid I only remember that name,” he says. “I do not remember anything or anyone that was associated with it. Do you know what it could mean?” A glint of hope shows in his eyes as he waits, the insistent stare so intense Link feels like it traverses him, wraps itself around him to trap him down. 

Of course he knows. He wants to tell him that it’s him, he  _ is  _ Link, but what had Ledo said again? Too early. He just shakes his head, though the constant lying about his own identity might just make him forget about who he is again. His prince doesn’t need to know for now.

_ His  _ prince?

“I see,” Sidon sighs, turning his head to look outside. They’re moving through the cosmos already, the sun looking a bit closer to them now that they’re so far away from home. Sidon stares passively, resting his chin against his hand. “I only hope that I will soon remember. It sounds important.”

There’s a silence passing between them, something somewhat heavy. Link doesn’t let his gaze wander away from Sidon, following each of his movements with his eyes. 

Did the Goddesses  _ have  _ to put such a beautiful being in this universe?

He curses himself for his daydreams once again – he has to be serious, it’s an important trip and he can’t let his identity slip through. A sigh escapes him as he tries to chase the thought away.

But Sidon really _is_ stunning.

“Pardon me,” he interrupts Link’s thoughts. Link blinks them away, directing his unfocused eyes towards Sidon. “I was just thinking that it is a bit strange that you found yourself wearing a pendant with my picture on it. I do not even remember this picture being taken,” he adds with a chuckle, and Link knows he’s going to have to improvise from now on.

_ Sorry, I don’t know.  _ He signs, and Sidon’s sharp teeth show fully in a bright smile.

“ It is fine! I did not expect you to. You lost your memories, after all.” And the way he says  _ anything  _ is reassuring, in a certain way. Link relaxes in his chair for now, grabbing the jug from the table to pour himself a glass of water. He almost drops it when Sidon speaks again.

“I do have a feeling you know a little about me, though.”

Link’s hands visibly tense up, his nails digging into the skin of his palm. He looks up, Sidon’s narrowed pupils meeting his gaze. They pierce right into Link’s soul, and he finds himself freezing in place – the prince could jump at him at any moment like a vengeful shark. He doesn’t reply just yet; his eyes focus on Sidon, waiting for some kind of explanation.

“When I was hiding in that Rito body, you knew it was me. Somehow, even though we had never met before, you knew something.”

Link doesn’t reply, simply letting his gaze fall onto the table in front of him. Sidon’s eyes are still on him, and he’s sure he hasn’t seen him blinking  _ once _ . “Besides, you aren’t a Gerudo,” he continues. “Do you think I forgot our first encounter? You are hiding in a different body.”

Link nods slowly at that, though he doesn’t want to reveal anything more. It was no use to lie about that fact, Sidon wasn’t stupid, and Link refused to treat him as such. 

“Forgive me, it is rude of me to pry,” Sidon finally utters, leaning back in his seat. He lets out a sigh, pinching at the pink skin of his crested brow. “You forgot everything, as Ledo said. You probably have your reasons for staying silent.”

The heavy atmosphere is gone as soon as it settles. Link sighs in relief as Sidon breaks eye contact, letting the Hylian free to move his eyes around the room again. There’s one more thing he knows now, at least: The prince can get scary when he wants to.

“To be honest, I feel so alone now that the rest of my family is gone,” Sidon starts again, changing the subject. Something oppressing flies through the air when Sidon mentions his family, and Link feels it tugging painfully at his heart. “But I feel like I wasn’t alone before I lost my memories. I had someone else, someone that helped me stand up through pain and sadness.” And Link can only offer him an apologetic look while he tucks a strand of red hair behind his ear. “I wonder what happened to them.”

Link chews at the inside of his mouth. Perhaps the person in question is himself. Perhaps he had been staying at Sidon’s side for a long time, offering him support when needed. Why would someone want to forcefully remove him from his memories…?

It’s something he still needs to figure out. But his heart aches, desperately so when the prince looks so lost in a cloud of vague memories.

This is going to be a long, long trip.

Twenty-four hours sure is a long time to reflect on everything that’s on their mind. Still, they make sure to eat, sleep, bathe, and sometimes talk about various things that come up naturally. Sidon is usually the one to spark conversations.

He had talked about his dear sister Mipha. The Zora princess and future queen, who was the gentlest person Sidon had ever known. Her healing powers could do wonders, even saving people on the verge of death… Sidon had always wished to follow her path.

And he had talked about his father, King Dorephan, strongest among the Zoras and a just ruler to their planet. He would always protect his people and his family no matter what. It was what cost him his life, in the end.

The Zoras were a race that mostly belonged in the water. Of course, there were a few pieces of land where they could stand, live, and rest. Link’s eyes had gone wide when Sidon mentioned that Zoras usually slept in pools of water, keeping their head above the surface. Just like the Ritos, the Zoras had quite an amazing culture and lifestyle.

Link had learned that there were two other planets in the solar system, being planet Gerudo and planet Goron. He didn’t know much about these, but he was hoping to learn more about them in the future. All he knew is that planet Gerudo was mostly desert. Will Sidon be alright in conditions like these…?

Link had retired to his cabin at some point in order to rest in one of those strange beds he finds so comfortable. And he had slept for a longer time than he thought he would – this time, no dreams waking him up in a cold sweat.

The prince had gotten some rest too, in a special Zora cabin. Spaceships really had everything these days. He had slept long enough that Link has to wake him up now that they’re about to land on their destination. 

He stands a bit nervous in front of Sidon’s door once again. Despite this, he knocks lightly in hopes that the prince will hear him.

There’s a distant “Yes?” Coming from inside the room, and Link takes it as an invitation to open the door.

Sidon floats in the pool at the corner of the room. The lights are turned off, and Link can only see Sidon’s head above the surface, staring at him through half-lidded eyes. He had most likely just woken up, and the pool looks rather inviting – but Link chases off the thought as he starts signing.  _ We’re landing soon. _

Sidon soon leaves the pool, mindful of the water that almost overflows with his movements. He looks wide awake this time, offering Link a gentle smile as he puts his ornaments back on himself.

“Thank you for waking me up! My apologies, I slept for so long,” he says as he searches around the room, and Link shakes his head with a smile. To let Sidon have some more privacy, he leaves the room, simply waiting in the hallway until the prince is ready to go.

After a few minutes Sidon finally comes out, his bag ready and a thin layer of water still clinging to his skin. It’s rather late in the morning where they land, and the door finally opens for them to step out.

Their eyes are met with an immense barren-brown desert that extends itself around them. While it looks mostly empty, a few buildings can be distinguished in the distance including the station and something further that looks quite like an inn.

Aside from the few expected cacti in the distance, the nature seems to hold a certain emptiness to it. From where he stands, Link can definitely see that there’s a sandstorm going on way further away – thankfully, he doesn’t think that’s where they’re supposed to go. And when he looks farther on the right, he can make out some kind of… remains, bones from a creature so large he can barely believe it's real.

The scorching air makes itself known immediately once they’re outside. Particles of sand cling to the air, pricking at Link’s eyes as he rubs at them. He’s thankful he’s wearing his light Gerudo clothes, as he would most likely be suffocating from the heat if not for them.

The other Gerudo women leaving the ship seem completely unbothered, though. How does one get used to that kind of climate? Even in his disguise, he feels like he could dry up and crumble at any moment. But he can’t let this show – it’s time he started acting like a normal Gerudo woman if he doesn’t want to seem suspicious to anyone else.

He worries about Sidon, though. As a creature who mostly lives in the water, he must be feeling ten times worse than Link. He looks behind him, noting the visible look of discomfort on the prince's face.

_Are you alright?_ Link signs, and Sidon smiles with a wave of his hand, dismissing his own uneasiness. No matter how much he denies it, he’s _obviously_ having a hard time withstanding the heat.

“I am fine. It certainly is hot here,” he says, “I just need to find some water.”

The statement is quite worrying - They have to go to the station as soon as possible. Thankfully, they don't have to carry their own luggage, as the station's employees are doing it for them. The case containing Link's body must be heavy, yet the Gerudo women carry it without a single complaint.

The air is cooler in the station, thanks to the artificial winds that blow from strange devices on the walls. As soon as they're inside, Sidon is quick to find a water fountain that he promptly drinks into. They stay there for quite a while to enjoy the coolness of the area, not exactly ready to meet the ridiculously hot climate outside once again.

They do leave eventually, once Sidon feels ready enough. Despite the heat, they both sigh in relief upon seeing the oasis near the station. It's rather large and surrounded by other structures, possibly a few inns and shops. They could be going to Suma Sahma right away, but none of the two really feels ready to go in their current state. Perhaps it's better to rest there for now.

They're soon arriving near the body of water, discovering that the place is named Kara Kara Bazaar. It seems mostly frequented by travelers, some of them being Ritos or Gorons. The only few Gerudo women staying around are either guards or shopkeepers.

One of the shops sells light clothing and refreshing food, along with cooling elixirs for the ones who are sensible to the heat. Sidon might want to use some of these. Link notices him staring at the place, making a mental note to go there as soon as they've found a place to sleep.

The inn closest to the lake is welcoming, an artificial wind blowing just like in the station that instantly relieves the both of them. They book one room each for the night, not too far away from each other in case there's any sort of problem.

"Sir, you seem to be badly affected by the climate," the Gerudo woman running the inn says as she looks up at Sidon. "Feel free to use the water of the oasis anytime you want."

"Sarqso," Sidon thanks her, his voice strained as he puts a hand to his chest. Though he doesn’t mention it, Link can notice the immense relief that washes over him.

Link, on the other hand, became accustomed to the heat surprisingly quickly. He's sure it would be completely different if he were using his Hylian body, though.

Once their luggage is safely locked inside their room, they head for the water. It looks rather inviting, though Link would rather stay on the side for now. A Gerudo woman swimming in the oasis would look rather intriguing, he supposes.

He sits in the sand, close enough to the lake as he watches Sidon float carelessly. And he looks a lot better now, smiling as he takes a dive every so often. Link's eyes find themselves locked on the prince's proud form quite often, his pupils tracing along the lines of the regal jewelry he didn't bother to remove.

Link can hear the distant chatter of a few women further away. A group of Gerudo merchants are talking together, often throwing glances at the prince. They look like they’re gossiping, and Link tenses up when one of the women's gaze find the Hylian’s own, a frown across her features. Link takes a certain offense from it - He’s about to return it, hoping it would somewhat intimidate her until he spots Sidon in the corner of his eye, waving at him with enthusiasm.

For some reason, the sight of Sidon smiling at him from the water brings a strange feeling of déjà vu. It hits him like a storm, and everything around him disappears.

_ The water of the oasis usually became cooler as the day reached its end. It brings some relief at least, after they'd spent such a long time outside in the desert's heat. _

_ They would mostly spend their time in the water, though. Swimming with Sidon is something Link had learned to appreciate greatly, especially at night - while the water would grow colder, they would rarely ever get bothered. _

_ But Link feels a shiver on his skin. They had spent a long time in here tonight, and Link's Hylian body isn't quite accustomed to cold water, not yet at least. He finds himself swimming to the lakeside, ready to get out before a gentle hand stops him by the shoulder. Sidon's grin is playful, and Link's sure his heart is melting, dripping like honey inside his chest. _

“ _ Nobody is watching,” he murmurs to him, taking his hand to lace their fingers together. Link's cheeks feel warm, his face probably as red as planet Hylia’s moon. He's about to protest, to jokingly tell his prince to have some decency when Sidon captures his lips into a passionate kiss. _

_ He doesn't exactly feel like saying anything anymore. Instead, his free hand moves to rest on Sidon's jaw as he strokes his cheek with a thumb. The prince is bringing his hand to the small of Link's back, pulling him closer to him as he hums through his lips. Link parts his own slightly, licking at Sidon's bottom lip in some kind of request - _

“Lukan?”

Link finally comes back to his senses. His face- no, his entire body feels hot - Sitting under the midday sun had definitely not been a good idea. And Sidon is swimming closer, his gaze worried as he places his hands on the border.

“My friend, are you alright?” he asks, “You were staring in the distance for quite some time, and were not responding to me. Do you wish to go back inside?”

Link shakes his head as if to clear off his thoughts, and signs.  _ I’m fine, thank you, I just zoned out for a bit _ . He doesn’t believe his own words at all, but there’s no need in worrying the prince. 

Sidon’s eyes widen. Though a bit incredulous, he relaxes back into the water, his eyes still locked onto Link.

“Please do not hesitate to tell me if something feels wrong,” he requests, and Link smiles softly as he nods in response. “And feel free to use the water too!”

It's a good idea, but he doesn't think he's in the mood for swimming, at least not right now. Instead, he settles on bringing some water to his face and neck to at least cool himself down.

The realization of what happened hits him. The images he just saw (or more likely, remembered) are burned into his eyes and mind, and he finds himself replaying the scene in his head like a broken videotape. His heart picks up a faster pace when he tries to imagine what happens next, but... he doesn't try to chase the thoughts this time.

If he trusts this vision, it's just as Ledo said - Link and Sidon had traveled here together, to this exact oasis. It proves difficult to make eye contact with Sidon now that he knows they've kissed or  _ more  _ right there. He stops himself for now; Maybe he'll have to think further on this in a more... private setting.

The rest of the day is spent resting, swimming around for Sidon as Link looks through the shops for clothes, elixirs and a swimsuit. And Sidon had offered to help, but there was simply no way Link was going to accept - The prince has to take care of himself. Staying out under such a heat would be absolutely unhealthy for him.

At the later hours, the daylight starts to fade as the air becomes gradually cooler. The days on planet Gerudo grew ridiculously shorter, with how close to the sun it is. Well, at least they don’t have to handle the heat for as long as a day back home. And their appetite is back - they decide to have dinner together at the terrace of a restaurant near the lake.

The Gerudos were known for making amazing alcoholic drinks, one of their specialty. Link and Sidon decide to order fruity ones on a whim - it wouldn't hurt, after all. Link's not sure whether he used to like the taste or not but when he'd seen Sidon enthusiastically ordering his, Link had thought doing the same could be a rather exciting experience.

The tall glass is filled with a colorful beverage, of a mostly orange color that fades into red like strawberry at the bottom. The edges are decorated with an orange slice and red iced sugar that crunches pleasantly under Link's teeth. As he takes a sip, he feels the pleasing taste of mango linger onto his tongue. A slight burning sensation flows down his throat, and he watches Sidon drink his own with a weak smile.

“I do enjoy this from time to time,” the prince begins, “it is truly a shame that my planet cannot offer such drinks. We do not have many fruits growing around..."

Despite the relaxed expression on his face, Link can tell Sidon's chair feels a bit too small for him. He stifles a laugh, and his eyes once again lock themselves onto the prince.

He could take his hand. He could tell him about the vision he had earlier in the day. It's difficult to tell how Sidon will react - If he still has no idea who Link is, it might make little sense to him. Besides, if it comes to this... Well, Link knows he won't engage in anything intimate while he's disguised in another person's body. Perhaps he should... reveal himself before telling him about any of it.

His grip on his glass tightens, and he's about to sign something until Sidon interrupts his thoughts with a gentle voice.

“You know,” Sidon begins, “I have been remembering some things. Link is a person, right? Someone I know.”

Link stops breathing for a second. Before thinking of the consequences, he shrugs with a sheepish smile. He has to be Lukan for now - as much as he wants to reveal himself, his anxiety is eating at his heart way too much to be confident in doing so.

But Sidon seems like he had been waiting for some kind of answer. With a disappointed sigh, his tail droops behind his back. “I can associate a face with the name, now. A… Hylian, I believe. Despite that, I still cannot remember who he was or what he was to me. It is quite strange that he is the main thing my memory seems to fail on, isn't it?” He asks as he meets his gaze, offering him a sheepish grin.

They're both gradually remembering what happened before they lost their memories. It comes back in shards, and while Link's knowledge of their relationship is more advanced, he knows there's hope that the prince will realize soon.

“Do you remember anything about yourself?” Sidon asks, and Link's nerves tense up. Sure, he did remember something, but there’s no way he was going to tell the prince about it - not now anyway. He simply shakes his head, his lips pursed into a tight line.

When the moon rises, the sky’s color sets to a deep blue. There's not much else to do at night - besides, Link is surprisingly tired. They both enter the inn, climbing the stairs to find their rooms.

As they stand in front of their respective doors, they find themselves looking back at each other once more.

"Sav'orr, my friend," Sidon says with a smile and a wave of his hand. Link realizes his mistake - he hadn't taken any time to actually learn the Gerudo language. And he's supposed to pretend to be one...

"We should leave for Suma Sahma tomorrow," Sidon continues, "If the weather is kind enough to let us move, that is."

An awkward silence passes, and Link isn’t really sure where to look at anymore. Meeting the prince’s eyes only makes it worse, and he gives up on even replying. He simply nods, signing him goodnight instead, heading to his room without turning back.

Once he’s closed the door behind himself, he moves his hand to grab at the key and… leaves it. There’s no need to lock anything, and who knows, maybe Sidon will want to enter at some point. But again, why would he? 

It's a rather small room, the stone walls adopting the color of the desert. A single king-sized bed sits in the center, the covers neatly tucked in the borders. There's a large glass door on the side which seems to lead to some kind of balcony. He could sit outside and watch the view of the infinite expanse of sand and stars outside, but he settles for opening the window instead, letting the cool air fill the room.

The shirt he uses to wear while sleeping is one that he found back on planet Hylia. It feels rather small in his current body, but it'll do - he didn't exactly have anything else, and sleeping naked was not in his plans.

He quickly walks to the bed, burying himself against the mattress as he pulls the covers over him. Looking towards the wall, he breathes in the air of the night as he waits for sleep to overcome him.

Throwing a glance at the box with his original body inside, he hesitates several times. If he were to switch back now, he knows he would need someone to help him with it. And there's no one else that can aside from prince Sidon, is there?

He takes too long to think about it - before he knows it, he feels the weariness weigh onto his eyes as it drags him to sleep.

And it's peaceful this time, a slumber that seems to heal any of the negative thoughts, as rare as they've made themselves since they've landed on the desert planet.

_ The curtain and glass door had been left open to let the cool air fill their lungs. But Link feels himself grow almost dizzy when the natural warmth of Sidon's body is radiating from him, lingering on his skin like smoke. _

_ Link's grip on his prince's shoulders is tight and desperate, intensifying itself every time Sidon thrusts his hips upwards. Link is straddling him, feeling Sidon deep inside him - It sends his mind into a haze as he flutters his eyes open. The jewelry had been removed, and Link can't help but let his fingers dig into Sidon's bare skin as breathless moans escape his throat. _

_ "Have you really forgotten about this?" Sidon's whisper resonates within him, though his lips remain unmoving. It traverses Link’s thoughts as he sighs, echoing into his skull. He can't answer this, not when the air is being punched out of him like this as his fingers twitch against Sidon's collarbone. _

_ What about you, he thinks to himself. _

_ There's no answer from Sidon. Instead he thrusts harder, his lips ghosting over the base of Link's neck. Kissing along it gently, he moves up, soon reaching Link's pointed ear to whisper something new. _

_ "It is my fault," he finally murmurs, and Link feels himself shuddering. His slender tongue reaches his neck once again, soon replaced by razor sharp teeth that graze the soft skin. Link's sure he's melting now, and he lets out a sound of surprise when a hand catches his own to hold it tightly - _

Link wakes up panting, his body searing hot and the covers fallen to the floor.

The clock on the wall next to him displays the hour of two in the morning. The realization is quick to settle in - him and Sidon  _ definitely  _ shared an intimate moment here, in this exact room before. The heat is rising to his cheeks, and he hides his face behind thin fingers. He needs to cool down.

The space between his legs feels especially hot. A strange sensation makes itself known, something Link doesn't think he's ever experienced before, and-

Oh.

Without his usual... lower parts, it was hard to tell. But the dreams had left him in a strange state of arousal that has him staying wide awake. It certainly feels... different from when he's in his regular body. He supposes he could do something about it, but no,  _ no,  _ he won't do anything of the sort - not when he's disguised in another person's body. It just sounds wrong and disrespectful towards Lukan, who never asked for any of this.

He clenches his thighs together, hoping it will make the feeling go away somehow. Turning to face the balcony, he finds himself thinking about Sidon despite his will to try and fall asleep once again.

By this time, he had kind of figured that this is how it was between them. But the confirmation of it, in _images_ stuck to his eyelids sends his heart jumping through the roof. A cold sweat makes itself known on his brow, and he wishes he knew more about how they met, how they spent their days together, what the _feeling_ of being together was like.

Perhaps it was love, he thinks.

 


	7. With a Single Wave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally fucked up so badly yesterday and someone commented that i was missing a chapter and i DONT know how i did this but i totally missed a chapter. what the fuck was i on  
> For those who didnt see my shame: I havent updated this story in a year but i blame dyra for this, its all been written on my computer for a while i was just self-conscious i guess. keep in mind this fic is old so the writing isnt as good as my most recent stuff rip   
> anyway heres the REAL chapter 7, im so sorry lmfao

**** They had woken up early the next morning. Suma Sahma wasn't too far away from there, but it was always best to leave while the morning air still carried a certain coolness. The Gerudos found the use of advanced vehicle useless in the desert, so finding a way to cross it had been no easy task.

They had the option of using the sand seal surfing method. But with the amount of luggage they had, they had opted for something a little more costly. There was a way to use some kind of carriage-looking vehicle designed to cross the desert while led by sand seals. At least they could rest inside instead of walking on the burning sand. The trip hadn't been too long, and the woman leading the seals had helped them carry their luggage around.

The air in Suma Sahma is cooler, by the action of some kind of magic. Many fountains and pools surround the streets, with pure water that allows anyone to drink or swim in. It's a touristic town filled with people from all planets, and Link hopes they won't meet anyone from planet Zora - they would recognize Sidon instantly, and the interruption would be rather unwelcome.

Everything around them seems luxurious. Thankfully, money wasn't exactly a problem for the prince, but Link still felt a bit guilty that he couldn't help much with what he had. Booking a hotel room would come later in the day, they decide. For now, Sidon has to swim - the weather was still something difficult to withstand for him, even with the elixirs they'd bought the previous day.

And so they spend their whole day bathing under the sun.

At the later hours, the sun is brushing at the horizon while Sidon still floats around for a few minutes more. And Link is looking over to him, his feet dipped into the water as he sits on the border of the pool. It feels almost cold now that he’s been sitting there for so long. He has no memory of ever coming here, but now he understands that Ledo's plan was to send them to places they've been together. Perhaps it'll help somehow, with the passing of time.

Sidon finally raises his head, looking to Link with a bright smile. Being the gentleman that he is, he holds his hand out. Link stares for a moment, unsure of what is expected of him.

“Would you like to join me in the water again? Hold my hand, and I’ll help you,” he says, his tone gentle and his gaze full of warmth.

And Link supposes that swimming a little more wouldn't hurt. He's smiling back, moving to reach for Sidon's hand when he hears a sentence resonating in the back of his head.

_ Hold my hand, do not let go. _

Similar to what the prince just said, it repeats itself in his head. It echoes like a holy chant, shaking him to the core as his hand drops to his side. He can see the worried look on the prince's face, though he can't do anything to communicate with him, not when this sentence is all that it takes for him to see it all.

And like a giant wave, it hits him. Everything at once, a flood of information overflows his mind with images and words from forgotten memories.

That’s when he remembers everything.

*

At last, their training was over for the day.

It's rather early into the night, though the stars have already begun to shine above them. The air of planet Zora carries some kind of purity from the water that relaxes their muscles, tense as they were before they lay down to rest in the grass at each other's side. The gentle sound of the Zora river fills their heads as it flows at their feet, attracting the fireflies as they dance above the water.

Stargazing was one of the things Link and Sidon enjoyed doing greatly at night. It brought them some peace after long days like these, when all they could do was train for their fight against the calamity. They’re hopeful at least that when the worlds combine their strengths, nothing, not even a calamity can ever stop them.

Zelda, the princess of planet Hylia had an important responsibility in this. She had the final role, as she was supposed to be the one to seal Ganon away with her powers. Link was to aid her until Ganon was weak enough, assisted by the four champions of the solar system.

Each planet had qualified one of their individuals strong enough to be a champion. Link could be considered the champion of Hylians. The others were Mipha of the Zora, Revali of the Rito, Urbosa of the Gerudo and Daruk of the Goron. Each of them had their own unique abilities, and they had to inflict as much damage on Ganon until he crumbled to the ground.

While Sidon was optimistic, he couldn’t hide the worry that he felt for his older sister Mipha. She was brave and strong of course, but her task was not an easy one. Him on the other hand, was assigned to protect the domain along with the royal guards. Protecting his people was his duty, and he hoped he would be useful enough against Ganon's monsters.

_ I know it’ll be fine _ , Link signs to him with a smile.  _ I know the wonders you can do. _

Sidon lets out as sheepish laugh as he takes Link’s hand in his own to bring it to his face. There's a tickle where Sidon hums at it playfully, covering the back of his hand with gentle kisses. Link shifts to face him, laying on his side in the grass, his eyes full of love as if the prince were the most important treasure in the world. Well, that's what he  _ is,  _ to Link at least.

They had been a couple for exactly two years on this day. Everyone in the domain was aware, of course - the two could absolutely not hide their smiles whenever they would find themselves even just standing next to each other. And they had received an incredible amount of encouragement, of good wishes from all people.

It had been gradual, starting with them being just good friends. Which was for the best; It had allowed them to learn about each other with time, taking their time to feel their heart beat a little faster in the presence of each other or to notice the way one looked at the other. Link fell in love sooner than he expected, but it was justified - that was  _ Sidon _ , after all.

Sidon was the one to confess first. Link would never forget how  _ cute _ it was when the prince's trembling hands were holding Link's own, and he was so bashful he could barely say anything, his voice almost too quiet to be heard over the waterfall.

They had stopped looking at the distant stars at some point, to settle on watching each other's eyes. To Link, gazing into the golden wonders that were Sidon’s eyes was even better than staring at the cosmos. Sidon laces their fingers together, his movements delicate as ever.

“Thank you for believing in me, Link,” Sidon begins, a soft sigh escaping his lips. “I believe in you, too.”

Link smiles, his eyes weary with the time passing. There's a sound of surprise escaping him as Sidon gets up to place himself above him, trapping him between his arms. His gaze peers into Link's own, hypnotizing him with its honeyed warmth.

“You have to promise me, though,” he says, a more serious look on his face as he holds Link's chin up with a finger. “That whatever happens, you will not forget about us.”

And Link knows what he means. Though it's scary to admit, they have to be prepared for the fight that's to come. Injuries could happen, or worse. While it's something they have to acknowledge, Link hopes it will never, ever come to this.

He finds himself nodding slowly, signing the word  _ promise  _ to his prince. And Sidon is lowering his head to reach him, pressing his lips onto his lover's own.

And Link returns it, making the kiss last a little longer than expected. They stay like this for a moment as they lie still in the grass, both unwilling to part from each other. The soft breeze sends a shiver onto Link's skin, and his view of the sky is completely blocked by Sidon's large form above him. He won't complain in the slightest, though.

Link raises his hands to stroke Sidon's forefins, earning him a pleased hum from his prince. It's a rather sensitive place, and Sidon's movements are intensifying as he angles his head to deepen the kiss.

It becomes quite heated - soon, Link is panting under him, his body growing hot as he wraps his arms around Sidon's neck. The way his prince holds him in place feels reassuring, almost a little overwhelming, but who is he to stop him? A sigh escapes his mouth before another voice echoes from the trees behind.

“Sidon?”

Their eyes snap open as their moment comes to a halt, with Sidon clumsily pulling away to get back on his feet. It’s almost like it all fades away, and the shock has Link stuck in place like a startled rabbit. Is it better for him to stay hidden behind the tall grass, lying still on the ground? That's what he decides to do for now, at least.

“Mipha! You scared me,” Sidon exclaims, his cheeks flushed red. Mipha is standing just a few meters away, between two tall pine trees. And they both know she’s no fool - even if she couldn’t see from where she was, she probably guessed what was going on already. Sidon rubs at the back of his neck as he tries to regain his composure. “Were you looking for me?”

“Is Link with you?” She asks with an innocent smile on her face. Of course she knows. They had nothing to be ashamed of, but it was certainly embarrassing to get caught by a family member. Link just hopes she didn’t see more than what she needed to.

Sidon stutters as he waves his hands in dismissal. “No- um, I mean yes, he is here, we were just stargazing-” and Mipha giggles when he tries to explain himself. Link's cheeks are definitely just as red as Sidon's as he slowly sits up, turning to face Mipha.

The two siblings look quite different despite their similarity in color. Mipha is slightly taller than Sidon, her presence intimidating until her smile shows. Her head is much rounder, and it adorns an intricate crown-looking headpiece that affirms her status of princess and future queen. A sky blue cloth hangs from her left shoulder, one of the distinctive signs of the champions.

Link is waving at her with a smile, trying to pretend he wasn’t making out with her brother just a few seconds ago. It’s not like she was going to believe him, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

“I am sorry to bother you,” she says with a knowing smile as she waves back, “I assume you were busy with something-“

“No, no, it is fine – please tell me what the matter is,” Sidon interrupts her, throwing a glance at Link who lets out a laugh.

“Father simply wishes to see the both of you,” she says, “but it is not urgent, and you are not in trouble.”

Link raises his eyebrows. What could the King possibly want from them?

While Mipha heads back to the domain, they both decide it's better to stop their... activities for the time being. They follow her through the forest, reaching the domain and the throne room soon enough.

King Dorephan is here, as gigantic as ever and even Sidon looks tiny in comparison. His blue whale form certainly makes him look intimidating, but Link knows better than to get scared: The king was always gentle and accepting, a person Link knew he could trust. On the side, Mipha and Sidon’s teacher Muzu is here, hunching over himself as usual with his flat stingray head making him look even older than he actually is. Link knows him, and although he barely ever smiles, he’s not a bad person - just a little grumpy and overprotective of his pupils.

“What is it that you wish to tell us?” Sidon asks to his father in a nervous tone, as Link bows down in front of him.

“Your training has been going so well,” the king starts, “but most of our soldiers still need a bit of preparation before we can unleash our strike on calamity Ganon. That is why, I want to suggest you two that you go someplace to relax for a few days.”

They both look at each other with wide eyes, then back at King Dorephan. “Father, what exactly do you mean?” Sidon asks, and the King's laugh resonates through the room.

“I told Mipha that she could go anywhere she wanted for the time being, so it is only natural that I say the same to you and Link, is it not?”

They’re still both silent in front of the King, throwing brief glances at each other. “You need to be well-rested if you wish to do great on the battlefield,” he adds, “I am saying you should go on a vacation.”

A vacation. Link's sure he's never had one before, and it's a bit difficult to wrap his mind around it. Besides, Sidon had most likely never left his planet. Their faces light up with enthusiasm, and Sidon puts a hand over his own chest.

“Father, this is too much… Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.” Sidon says, and Link quickly follows to sign the words  _ Thank you _ .

*

They had felt a bit guilty when they decided to leave, but they weren’t going to say no to such a suggestion.

And while they wouldn’t mention it to king Dorephan, they both knew it: It was more than a matter of rest – Sidon and Link both knew what a battle could bring. Pain, injuries or loss, and while they were confident, nobody ever knows what can happen. They had never been on a vacation together before, and if there’s one thing they would like to do before the end, that’s what it would be.

They had picked planet Gerudo as their destination. It was a rather distant one, and the weather wasn't the easiest to handle, especially for Sidon. They had elixirs though, not to mention every traveler they had met had told them it was one of the most pleasant planets to visit.

They were to go on their own, and no one was to bother them.

They had left for five days, a short trip but a relaxing one nonetheless. The time they’d spent together had only made their bond stronger, and it had been a good way to celebrate their second year together as well. They had learned about the Gerudo culture, one almost opposite of the Zora’s. The food, the drinks, the language, the structures, all this made them want to come back once they were done with the war against Ganon.

At least, they hoped they would be able to.

The subject would be brought up every so often. And every time it was, everything was said with only honest words and smiles. Thinking about death was scary, and would often bring them to tears just from imagining that they could lose their loved ones. They would hold each other's hands tightly, whispering "I love you"'s and other sweet words that would stay engraved into their minds.

No matter what happened, they knew nothing could erase their love for each other.

They had taken pictures together, and found lockets in which they could put the pictures inside. Link would wear his lover's picture inside his pendant, and the same would go for Sidon. They had sworn to always keep it on themselves, to look at it in moments of despair or if their memory ever failed them.

When they came back to planet Zora, the Hylians finally unleashed their strike on Ganon by luring him away from the sun that he had made his home, and so the other kingdoms followed.

*

The battle had been fierce and more violent than anything Link had ever seen before. People would get injured left and right while Link and the champions did what they had to do to weaken Ganon. The beast had unleashed an army of monsters over the five planets, and while Sidon had been protecting his domain from Ganon's forces, he couldn't see what was happening on the battlefield of planet Hylia. All he could do was imagine, and it had his stomach twisting in fear. He had said he believed in his hero though, and he made sure to look back at Link's picture on his locket in difficult times.

Link had thought he would never forget about the Zora nurse he saved from the fangs of death on that day. Mei was her name. Dangerously close to an explosion, Link had pushed her away just in time, leaving her injured but alive. He had saved several people, of course - but the look on the face of her teary-eyed husband was stuck inside his head, the poor man mouthing "thank you" from afar.

But the worst of it all had happened under Link and Zelda's terrified eyes. The four blights, powerful creations of Ganon had taken on each of the champions. They had stolen their last breaths in the most violent of ways, giving them no possibility to fight back.

And just like that, the champions had died.

It had all happened so fast. Mipha, Revali, Urbosa and Daruk - They had been so strong all their lives, almost unbeatable. But what can a champion do in the face of death?

And everyone had realized it: Not only their bodies were destroyed beyond repair, but their memory chip as well. Immortality was not an option for them anymore. The champions had been reduced to nothing, their soul now wandering to what was left of their world.

King Dorephan, upon hearing about the death of his beloved daughter, had tried to take on the waterblight by himself in a fit of rage. But the waterblight was a demon, one that brought the King to his demise despite his strength.

Link had just witnessed the prince's family getting murdered, reduced to nothing but a pile of corpses.

How? How was a soulless monster able to destroy two of the most powerful people of planet Zora?

Link had been sure he would drown in despair on that day. But Zelda was here with him, reminding him that they couldn't give up, that they still had something to do.

The only thing that had kept Link alert was his rage, his will to avenge the champions and the Zora king. And despite his painful wounds he kept going, destroying the four blights and unleashing his true power on Ganon until all that was left of the demon was a cloud of malice.

The black and red cloud threatened to swallow their universe whole, but Zelda had brought the end of it. With all the power that was left in her, she finally sealed the calamity away to a place unknown.

It was over.

Sidon had come to planet Hylia immediately, unaware of what happened to his family. Before anyone could tell him anything, his eyes had met their lifeless corpses.

Link had ran to hold him through it. And there Sidon was, a lone and orphaned prince on his knees, his eyes overflowing with tears as he gasped for the air that left his lungs in cries. Link could barely contain him, hugging him tight as he sobbed too against Sidon's chest. Zelda had done all she could to hold the two of them together in her arms.

Losing a loved one was never easy, and she knew this all too well.

The Zoras had lost so much on this day. Their royal family was gone, leaving only prince Sidon to inherit the crown.

But he had let the sorrow overcome him, the feeling so oppressing he could barely breathe or talk.

For a while, the planet had been left with no king. The only other one that was qualified enough to temporarily rule the domain was Muzu, who reluctantly took his place. In the end, they all knew Sidon would become a fine King - time was all that he needed now. Enough time to mourn, to find peace again.

At the time though, the prince was miserable. Link had never seen him so distraught, and he had decided to stay at his side for as long as needed. He couldn't bring back his family unfortunately, but he could at least try and provide as much support as Sidon needed.

It had taken about two months for Sidon to finally consider taking his father's place. Peace of mind had been difficult to achieve, though now he knows - his family watches over him, and he knows they died to protect the kingdom.

The reservoir lake sleeps next to them as Link and Sidon sit together, looking up at planet Hylia and its swirling cloud of purple smoke.

“I thought the cloud would disappear after all this,” Sidon says while tilting his head to the side. “It is still dangerous to use the path to reach the planet, but… do you wish to go home?”

Link shakes his head with a soft smile. Zelda knew he wouldn’t be coming back for a while, and he wants to stay with his prince as long as he can if he allows him to. Link scoots closer to his lover, holding his arm and tracing the battle-scarred fin with a finger. Sidon sighs with a smile, turning his head to gaze into Link's eyes.

“Thank you for being here, my darling,” he murmurs, his golden eyes weary with the weight of his tears. Link moves up, placing a chaste kiss on the prince's lips.

For some reason, Sidon's face adorns a red hue when Link pulls away. It's rather curious - this wasn't the first time they'd kissed at all, yet Sidon looks like his face is burning up. Link's eyebrows raise to question him as he tilts his head.

A gentle hand grabs at Link's own, and Sidon lets out a soft laugh with a sheepish smile.

“It is my duty to rule as a king, and I have understood this,” he begins. “But before this, there is something I wish to ask you.”

Link's heart thumps a bit harder inside his chest. There's something new in Sidon's eyes, some kind of determination that adds a strength to each of his words. The few seconds of silence that follow seem to last forever, and when Sidon is about to continue, Link spots something in the corner of his eye.

Some kind of hand appears behind Sidon out of thin air. It's surrounded by dark smoke, something that has Link's gut twisting as he swallows hard. His body turns as cold as ice - And Sidon can tell something's wrong by the look on his face. The prince is tensing up, and he doesn't even have time to look behind him before an unknown force pushes Link away from him.

The strong wind is taking Link away, flying his body above the ground at incredible speed. The black and red malice fills his eyes as he cries out, and he knows.

Calamity Ganon's power had breached through the seal briefly, allowing him to avenge himself after his fall. And Link is the one he chooses to punish, by being alert enough to push him to a place that would bring him to a certain death.

Planet Zora had this strange, unexplained place that no one ever dared getting close to. Its reverse gravity pushed people away from the ground, letting them fall to the sky and to planet Hylia above. Link knows where he's headed - and there's nothing he can hold onto, nothing to save him from this.

He can hear Sidon's distant screams for help, for Link to stay with him. But Ganon's force is something Link can't push back, not this time. He finds himself reaching the zone without gravity, feeling his body lifting up as he flies up.

There's no way he'll get out of this alive - Planet Zora and planet Hylia were very close to each other, but not enough to guarantee a way out. There's not much that can halt his plunge.

He wishes he could have heard what Sidon was about to tell him.

The stars move rapidly around him, faster and faster, and he can only imagine what state he'll end up in when he reaches planet Hylia's ground. His poor heart is barely holding itself in his chest anymore as it fills itself with regret.

Link closes his eyes. He can't hear Sidon's anymore, and planet Hylia's cloud rumbles, ready to swallow him whole as he lets himself fall. What else can he do?

As he's about to give up on life, something strong and sudden grabs at his wrist violently enough that it almost breaks. It halts him in his fall, he realizes, and he finally looks above him through half lidded eyes.

Sidon is there, hanging down from a small spaceship that flies itself into the air. He's holding his wrist tightly, his hand twitching as he looks down with terrified eyes.

But Link can feel the purple smoke reaching him, filling his lungs with every strained breath he takes. He coughs, the poisonous air pricking at his eyes as he lets the tears roll down. In the spaceship above him, Link can distinguish two other figures: One of them is Fronk, Mei's husband, and... who was the other one again?

“Link, Goddesses please, look at me,” Sidon cries out loud enough to be heard above the spaceship's sounds. “Do not inhale any more of this, or you will lose your memories!”

Link coughs violently. In the state he's in, he can barely think - taking the decision to hold his breath is almost impossible. More of the cloud's smoke comes around, filling him completely as he suffocates. He wishes he could talk now, but no sound can even come out of his throat anymore, not even shouts.

“Please hold my hand,” Sidon cries out on the verge of tears, and Link’s vision starts to fade. He can’t remember what got him into this situation. “Hold my hand. Do not let go. I beg of you.”

His soul might be leaving his body. Looking up, Link can see that someone is holding his hand tightly, someone important. He's the Zora prince, the one that he's loved for two years, his name is -

What was his name?

The cloud is acting fast, eating at his memories with every particle that clings to the inside of his lungs. Sidon gasps as his hold tightens, remembering their pendants. Link still has his own around his neck and the prince yells loud enough so Link will hear through the buzzing in his brain.

“Remember the picture!” he shouts, “Do not forget about us! You are my Link!”

It echoes in Link's head, faint and distant like a voice trying to pull him back to reality. Letting it be the last thing he hears, he closes his eyes, losing consciousness as his grip on Sidon's hand weakens until it's not there anymore.

He doesn't hear Sidon's screams as he falls down on the planet under, abandoning all kind of life that had inhabited him for all these years.

He's going to die, he knows it - but what is there to remember about him anyways? He can't remember anything he's done anymore, or anyone he's known.

It's over. There's nothing that can keep him alive.

He doesn't know what wakes him up. It's either the shock that explodes through his body when he hits the ground, or the realization that he's dying for real. It only lasts one second, but a figure appears above him through the clouds of dust he's created around the crater. It's a... fish-woman, flying right above him while not entirely there.

The spirit places an abstractly cold hand on Link's cheek, whispering something to him. His vision turns a crimson red, as if all the veins inside of him had burst completely. The blood he coughs up goes unnoticed as the voice soothes him, sending a magic into him that turns his insides into light.

“It is my pleasure.”

For a second, he thinks he remembers her. The thought quickly fades into nothingness, leaving his mind empty as his head falls back onto the ground.

The cloud above swirls playfully, laughing to Link's face in vengeance, and everything goes white as he faints.

*

The atmosphere turns horrific in the spaceship when Ledo and Fronk notices that Sidon's hand is empty. When did he let go?

The prince had gone silent a few seconds ago. Link isn't there holding onto his wrist anymore and Sidon is slowly letting himself slip off, almost falling out of the ship. Ledo and Fronk move to hold him back, gripping him by the shoulders.

“Your Highness!” Ledo shouts loud enough so the prince can hear him over the sounds of the engine. “Please come back to us. Come back inside the ship!”

They combine their efforts to pull him back, as tough as Sidon is when he tries to get out of their grip.

“Let me go! Link is under the cloud!” Sidon yells as he turns to them, his face messed up with the tears and the fear. But letting the prince fall would lead him to a certain death, and the thought only makes them panic more.

But it's hard. It's so hard to try and tell him that his lover, the hero of their universe has fallen from so high up that there’s no way he could’ve survived.

"I don't want to lose him- Not him too," Sidon chokes back, desperately trying to fall to the void below.

It feels like a punch to their hearts. Ledo and Fronk find themselves staring at each other in silence, their grip on Sidon's shoulders tightening to hold him back.

And suddenly, an unexpected voice resonates through the speakers of the ship.

“Remove his memory chip.” And Ledo recognizes the voice. It’s Muzu.

“Why would I do that?” Ledo asks, a heavy frown on his face. And Sidon is too distraught, too lost to be hearing them behind his suffering.

“I said remove it! If you do not prevent him from moving right now, he will fall from here! Do you wish for Sidon to die?”

Ledo’s stomach twists in terror. Of course he wants the prince to live, but removing a memory chip without one's consent is a great crime, and-

Fronk had always seemed less strong than Ledo physically, yet he manages to pull Sidon back inside completely. After closing the door, he forcefully removes his memory chip from the back of his head.

Sidon's body goes limp, devoid of anything to animate it. Ledo simply stares with wide, terrified eyes as Fronk calmly puts the chip into a tiny box.

“What are you doing?” Ledo asks, moving the prince's body to lean it against the wall.

“We have to do what he says,” Fronk answers with a sinister look on his face. “We’ll give it back to him later.”

“What about Link? Are we just going to leave him down there?!” He almost yells at Fronk, who instantly tenses up. His pupils are narrowed to thin lines, giving him a gaze that could kill.

“Link is dead!” He shouts, and Ledo can see the tears welling in Fronk’s eyes despite it all. “With a fall like this one, even his memory chip will be destroyed. There’s nothing we can do!”

Ledo settles on closing his mouth for the time being. He's known Fronk for years, and he knows he isn’t heartless - though staying strong in the face of tragedy seems to be necessary for now.

“Link saved my wife,” Fronk starts again as his head lowers. “The least I can do is save the one he loved.”

The pain in Ledo's throat only worsens as he grits his teeth in frustration, but he understands. He looks back at the prince's lifeless body. How are they going to tell him? How are they going to help him through this? Sidon has already lost so much, and now his lover is gone too.

“When you come back to the laboratory, I want you to manipulate his memories,” Muzu says through the speakers with a trembling voice. “Remove any trace of Link. Make him forget that his lover died, so that he does not have to suffer anymore.”

They look at each other. It was something they never thought they would have to do. It sounds immoral to them, but their own silence only speaks agreement. With all that happens, there's an unspoken feeling, a gruesome one that Sidon could let his suffering be his end.

That’s how they end up trapping Sidon in the laboratory’s pool, putting him to sleep while they manipulate his memory chip to forget about Link. The bitterness lingers in their throats - they'll probably go to hell for doing this, even if it's just to try and ease Sidon's pain. The pendant around his neck had been removed and hidden, the images of Link in his brain clouded and his name covered. When he would wake up, it would be like Link never existed to him.

The morning after, Sidon disappears along with his memory chip.

There's no doubt in Ledo's mind that he's somehow left for planet Hylia. With his own spaceship, he travels there to look for him.

There could be many places to look at, but perhaps he would've come to see Zelda - if he remembers her, he must be here to question her. Has Zelda learned about Link's death? If she has, it would also be good to offer her some support.

And when he’s in front of the door, he learns from her that Link is alive and well, miraculously, and that his memories have faded completely.

There's no way to know how he survived his fall, but they had made a grave mistake by deciding to manipulate Sidon’s memory. When Ledo calls Fronk to inform him of the news, they both decide that they’ll do whatever it takes to make them both remember about each other.

They had to fix the mess they had made.

 


	8. Shaking you Awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heres 2 chapters in one day!!!!!!!!!

  
  
"Lukan, my friend, are you alright?"

The smooth voice Link hears slowly awakens him, causing him to smile already. It's Sidon _.  _ A wave of relief washes over him - Link really thought he would never see him again, and here he is, at his side like he had been for a few days already, even while the Hylian’s memories were faded.

It's easy for him to tell that he still isn’t in his real form, however. As he flutters his eyes open, Sidon holds his head and hands, a reassuring gesture that Link leans into.

"You fainted while we were in the pool," Sidon explains, eyes shining with worry. "Can you sign? Are you hurting anywhere?”

Link's strained neck doesn’t allow him to be sharp in his movements, so he groans lightly as he turns his head around - and he finally, truly sees him. His prince, his  _ love,  _ the one who he had promised to never forget. How foolish he had been, to let his memory of Sidon slip away from his heart when the cloud swallowed him whole. He remembers now. He remembers everything he ever forgot, his childhood, his adventures, Zelda, Mipha, the calamity, and  _ Sidon _ .

And Sidon still doesn't remember him.

Before melancholy can take hold of his heart, it’s hope that settles there, pushing him to move. He has to do something about it. Link straightens up, his eyes meeting Sidon's as he takes his hand into his own. His fingers reach his palm, gently tracing a few lines that Sidon reads out loud.

"L-I-N-K... What about Link?" Sidon asks, clearly unsure about whatever’s going on. Link points to himself repeatedly, an encouraging smile spreading across his lips.

_ Me. It's me. _

But Sidon's stare is incredulous. "You’re Link? But..." He stammers for an instant, scratching at the back of his neck, obviously confused and embarrassed. "That is not what you look like in my dreams."

Link looks down onto his body. Of course that's not how Sidon would remember him, he tells himself with a defeated sigh. The flashback had made him almost forget about their situation. Link gets up abruptly despite the soreness in his limbs, tugging at Sidon's wrist to lead him to their luggage that they had left at the side of the public pool. Perhaps if he shows him his original body...

Link turns to Sidon as he signs. _ We need to go somewhere private. _

And Sidon questions him, but Link gives no answer - instead, he leads him to a lake in the depths of the town, carrying the case with his help.

No one is there to see, thankfully. Link settles the case in front of Sidon, opening it to reveal his original body inside. The prince jolts, the pink skin under his brow furrowing as he takes a slow step back.

"What is-" he stutters, as troubled as if he’d seen a dead body. Well, the Hylian supposes that’s kind of what it is. But soon enough, Link starts to sign once again in an attempt to reassure him.

_ This is me, _ he states, looking to Sidon's eyes without leaving them.  _ This is my original body. Can you help me switch back? _

It takes a few seconds for the trembling in Sidon's hands to stop. As confounded as he seems to be, he nods in agreement, not daring to ask any more questions and Link is grateful for that.

It happens quickly; Link's body is taken out of the case, leaned against a tree as he prepares himself to finally,  _ finally  _ switch back. He had really missed his own body, and maybe showing himself as how Sidon knows him will help him remember, at least he hopes. Anything could work at this point.

Sidon is the one doing the transfer, removing Link's memory chip from Lukan's body to put it back where it belonged. He’s obviously tense when Link starts opening his eyes again, looking at his own hands with an enthusiastic smile. He plays with his fingers, making sure that everything works properly - Goddesses, everything feels so much better in his normal body. And now that he remembers everything about his love, the first thing he wants to do is jump into his arms and to kiss him like they were never apart.

But Sidon just stares at him, mouth agape.

"You certainly are the Link I see in my dreams," he speaks up hesitantly, "But you must forgive me, I still do not remember what you were to me."

There's something somber to his voice as he pronounces the words that Link had hoped to never hear again. The Hylian feels it like an arrow piercing his already fragile heart; It's so  _ unfair _ , that he was able to remember while Sidon couldn't. He wants to tell him everything he knows, to assure him that they were lovers but he's afraid to scare Sidon away. He doesn't imagine that he will easily accept a stranger telling him they used to be together, perhaps it could even be viewed as an outright lie.

"Why were you hiding from me?" Sidon asks, and Link's shoulders stiffen. He hesitates for a moment, but this time, he decides to tell him the truth.

_ I was told to disguise myself,  _ he signs, and he spells out Ledo's name.  _ He didn't know how you would react _ .

Sidon lowers his gaze, Link's explanation confusing him more than it helps him. He kneels to take Link's hands in his own, however, words mounting within him as if there were thousands of things he would say, but only one question comes out.

"What about you, Link,” he begins with a sincere smile. “Do you remember me?"

It’s so fucking unfair.

Sidon's voice trembles at it leaves him, his eyes lost in memories and searching for answers from anyone that could give them. And Goddesses, it hurts. It hurts to see his prince like this. What if Sidon isn't in love with him anymore?

Is this really how it has to end?

This time, Link doesn't nod or shake his head. As he feels his throat grow tighter, he extends his arms and pulls Sidon in a warm embrace. It's something that lasts as long as Sidon lets himself be held, and Link uses the moment to hide his own face in his chest. Is he doing this out of pity? Does he believe that the Hylian is losing his mind? Whatever it is, Link hates it - the tears are pricking at the corner of his eyes as Sidon puts his arms delicately around him.

And he can tell this isn't how his prince would hold him if he still loved him, if his affection was never forcefully removed from him.

When they part, Link doesn't let his prince see how distraught he is.

He doesn't have to know. He doesn't have to worry.

*

Lukan's body is placed back into the case when the night settles. They would have to take her back to planet Hylia where Zelda found her eventually. After heading to the hotel they had decided to stay at for the night, Sidon only books one room, to Link's surprise. When he raises his head to give him a questioning look, there's a gentle hand brushing his shoulder, the comforting gesture managing to let his tense muscles relax slightly.

He places his own hand onto Sidon's own, taking in the sight of the smile that he graces him with.

"You seem disheartened, and I know what it is like to sleep alone on nights like these," he begins, a look of compassion adorning his features. Link wishes he could wrap his arms around him once again. "If I can do anything to help you, please tell me. You have done so much for me all this time, and after all, we are also here to help each other, are we not?"

Link smiles in return. It's a strange thing to hear, considering the fact they've shared a room many more times than he can count - he doesn't know if that's for the best, but at least it'll give him the impression that everything between them is still real. For now, he supposes he’ll cling to that fake feeling.

Entering the room with Sidon at his side brings a feeling of nostalgia to the depths of his heart. It looks exactly like the room they had booked on their first trip to planet Gerudo together. So many things had happened there, yet Link knows Sidon doesn't remember any of it.

The only bed in there is a king-sized one, large enough that the both of them can fit. If... they sleep rather close to each other, that is. This is going to be a difficult night.

"Feel free to push me away if I get too close, my friend," Sidon speaks with a small smile, and Link nods insincerely. He knows very well that he’d never push him away; They had always slept with their bodies nearly tangled together.

Despite his attempts to stay calm, he can't help but feel his heart pounding against his chest when they both get into their bed. Sidon's shadow and strong presence are almost enveloping him completely, and they're not making any kind of contact, yet... Link can somehow  _ feel  _ him. His touch on his shoulder from a few minutes ago lingers onto him, wandering to other places as Link feels his imagination take over.

He faces the wall first - he doesn't want to make things awkward, and that's how it'll be for now. He hears the covers shifting, feeling the movement in the mattress as Sidon moves around - and Link takes the risk of peeking behind himself, only to see that the prince is facing his way.

His heart leaps, sends a sudden heat to his cheeks that Link can't seem to conceal. From the sound of his breathing, Link guesses Sidon already fell asleep; He turns to face him hesitantly, noting the way Sidon's chest heaves with every breath he takes.

It only makes everything worse for Link, who's now staring at Sidon with his eyes wide open and his exhaustion faded. He doesn't know how he's supposed to sleep with the sight in front of him.

He loves him so much he could die.

He's not sure what explanation he'll give to Sidon if he wakes him up, but he slowly raises a hand to bring it to his face either way. His fingers brush over Sidon's slightly parted lips as Link stares at the sharp teeth in wonder. Goddesses, those teeth. He puts his free hand over the base of his own neck, remembering the bite mark that Sidon had given him before they both lost their memories. Obviously, Link had asked for that - He knew Sidon would never do anything to hurt him truly.

After a few minutes of contemplating, he leaves the bed as quietly as possible so Sidon doesn't wake up. He always was a heavy sleeper, anyways. He rummages through his bags until he finally finds the stasis apparatus that Ledo had left him. It wouldn't hurt to try again.

He aims the light at Sidon, and the memory space appears in a floating portal. Setting the device on the nightstand, Link carefully steps inside.

The room hasn't really changed, aside from the few pieces of tape that detached themselves slightly from the pictures. Link's face on the images isn't entirely visible yet. When he flips through the books again, he notices that his name has cleared up, but the rest of it stays unreadable. He has no idea how to change this, but it looks like it's fading over time… Maybe there's hope that it’ll keep going this way?

The block of tape on the wall hasn't moved, though. He moves to stand on the bed, adjusting himself before he tries his hardest to pry the tape away from the pictures on the ceiling.

It takes quite a lot of efforts, but with time he manages to remove it all. On all the pictures, Link's face is visible now - though there's some kind of darkness to it that Link can't seem to clear off. The memories seem buried deep inside Sidon's heart, too deep for Link to reach them, at least for now.

The block of tape on the wall is a different story, though. Whatever is hidden behind it, it was sealed so no one could remove it so easily.

But the exhaustion is clawing at his eyes now, and it's too late in the night for him to continue. With a sigh, he walks to the portal, stepping out of the memory space. Mindful of the movements of his feet, he lands onto the carpet without tripping - coming back to reality even after a rather short time feels strange still. As his vision sways around, he considers going inside again later, hopefully for the last time.

Once he is back in front of the sleeping prince, he aims the light back at his eyes to undo the stasis. If it's just like last time, perhaps this will have another positive effect on Sidon?

That's what Link wants to think for now, and he slips back into the bed, burying himself under the covers.

Sidon is still facing Link's side, sleeping peacefully. Link can hardly stop himself from staring, and he finds himself dozing off after some time, while the sound of Sidon's relaxed breathing lulls him to sleep.

Unsurprisingly, he dreams of his lover. He dreams of his tight embrace, his sweet words whispered into his ears as Link signs him promises to stay at his side. It feels like heaven to have Sidon with him again, but his heart aches when he remembers the possibility that the prince, unable to recover his memories, could eventually leave him behind. His dream turns darker,  _ colder _ , and before he can beg for Sidon to come back, he’s slowly pulled back to reality as the sound of covers shifting wakes him up.

It's morning already. It seems rather early, judging by the waking sunlight that falls onto Sidon's back through the window. Link doesn't let him know he's awake just yet - he takes in the sight of the prince who's sitting up on the bed, the covers abandoned to the side.

It's expected, at the very least. Link was always the one to wake up second.

When the Hylian looks at his face, it's easy to tell that Sidon has been crying. Images of the many times Sidon had shown himself this vulnerable after the loss of his family flood his mind, and he feels a certain sorrow tug at his heart once again.

Link gets up quickly and shifts himself to sit closer to him. He places a hand on his arm, a gesture meant to reassure him that he’ll never be alone again. There’s a slight jump in Sidon’s body and a startled sound coming from his mouth as he quickly wipes his tears away to face Link, faking a smile.

"Link, you're awake," He says with a sheepish laugh as to not worry him, but Link doesn't want any of that.

_ What's wrong?  _ He signs, and as Sidon realizes that his attempts at concealing his true state are fruitless, he lets out a trembling sigh. He rests his hands over his legs, focusing on them as he talks.

"I am not sure. I feel like I just had a really painful dream, and I woke up with tears in my eyes, but I do not remember any of it."

Oh. That was probably Link's fault, for having searched through his memories again. In a way of apologizing, he extends his arms out, offering him another embrace. Sidon accepts with a gentle smile, holding the Hylian delicately in a... "friend" way. It pricks at Link's heart, but they stay like this for a few moments.

And Link is brushing his fingers over Sidon's back lovingly, a gesture that Sidon surprisingly accepts with a relieved sigh. Link is grateful that he lets him do such things despite not remembering about their past, and he could swear he just saw the tail on the back of Sidon's head wagging slightly.

Once they part, Link gets off the bed to go and find something to dress with in his bags. But before he can reach them, a startled voice stops him as he just sits on the edge of the bed. He turns around, his eyebrows raised as he stares at Sidon curiously.

“Link, did someone injure you?” There's worry in the prince's voice, and Link isn't sure what Sidon is asking about, but his eyes snap open when he looks towards the place Sidon is pointing to.

Oh.

The bite mark near his clavicle, seen without context, could very well be associated with a monster bite - one that was meant to harm. But Link knows very well what it is, and he's not too sure how he’s going to explain it to his prince. It had been one of Link's roughly signed requests in the middle of one of their passionate nights - Sidon had bitten into him, imprinting a pretty pattern on his soft skin to satisfy him.

Link remembers the way it had felt, the way his toes curled from the sensation. Sure, it always hurt a little bit - but for some reason, this is what Link needed to push himself over the edge.

He turns his gaze to Sidon.  _ I don’t remember. _

There's faked innocence in the way he signs it, and Sidon is extending his arm to him, brushing his fingers against the scar with hesitant movements. It has Link shuddering, the flesh here sensitive enough to send his thoughts to somewhere different.

“Did I do this to you?”

Oh no.

How does he know? Why would he assume so? Link's heart races in his chest as he blushes hard, the red hue covering his face up to the tip of his pierced ears. He has no idea what he should answer.

Perhaps he wouldn't have done this under any other circumstances but he takes Sidon's hand in his own to keep him there, palm flat against the mark and fingers brushing against the skin of his shoulder ever so slightly. He's about to suggest something stupid, he knows - but there's an unreasonable voice in his mind that tells him to do it anyway.

_ You could... put your mouth over it to compare...? _

He would say that kind of things in a heartbeat if Sidon still remembered him, but now, well... It feels like requesting a stranger to bite his neck in a sensual way. What the hell, why did he even think this would be a good idea-

Though, Sidon seems far from indifferent to it. The prince's cheeks are reddening, and a feeling of satisfaction swells inside Link's chest. It only encourages him to walk closer to Sidon, waiting for some kind of response.

“If you do not mind,” he replies, to Link's surprise. A smile tugs at his lips, though he tries to conceal it for now - Sidon doesn't need to know how much he enjoys the situation. He kneels on the bed, right in front of the prince.

A gentle hand reaches for one of Link's strands of hair that's in the way. He moves it behind Link's shoulder, placing his other hand onto the small of Link's back - his breath hitches, something he tries to hide. It always feels so nice to be held by the prince like this.

Sidon's mouth is moving closer to the scar in a hesitant movement, and Link can feel himself getting lifted off the bed slightly, carried by Sidon's hand only. Oh no, Link  _ really  _ likes this - maybe a little too much. It's enough for his body to jolt, and his heart is ready to burst when the sharp teeth poke at his skin. Sidon can definitely tell Link is trembling, and the shorter man places his hands on the prince's shoulders for support.

The prince’s breathing feels hot on his skin, sends his head right into the clouds. The teeth graze the skin, though too delicately to pierce it - Goddesses, Link so badly wishes Sidon would bite down, even just a little-

But Sidon pulls back, leaving his flesh alone. A disappointed sigh escapes Link's mouth, and he hopes it will somehow pass as a sigh of relief to the prince. He’s panting slightly as Sidon gently places him back on the bed, wiping away the slight trail of saliva he had left on his clavicle.

Link grumbles mentally. Did Sidon  _ really _ have to make this unnecessarily hot?

“The bite is the same size as my mouth,” Sidon points out while looking down, a hint of shame across his features. “I do not remember doing this, but I must apologize for hurting you this way. I do not know what went through me.”

Link chews at the inside of his mouth. Sidon could be so oblivious at times, really - What should Link even do now? Accept the apology and move on? Or tell him the truth?

He's at a loss of what to say for a moment. But the unreasonable voice in his mind is back soon enough, whispering to him what he  _ wants _ to do.

To hell with it. There's no point in playing riddles anymore.

_ No need to apologize, I asked you to do it,  _ Link signs, not yet daring to lock his eyes on Sidon's own.

“Why? Did you...  _ want  _ me to bite you?” He asks, and Link feels a cold sweat on the back of his neck. His nerves are twisting, playing at his fingertips when he nods as the anxiety is squeezing his heart.

_ What more do you need?  _ He signs, frowning as he looks down.  _ We were so close, and now you don't even know me anymore- I want to help, Sidon, what can I do? _

Sidon's eyes widen, staring at Link silently with his mouth agape. Did it awaken something in him? It's what Link wants to hope, yet the prince's eyes seem devoid of love still, completely lost in thought.

This is unbearable. The constant punches to Link's heart are unbearable, and they'll drive him insane for sure - his vision is threatening to waver as the tears pool in his lower lids, and right now all he wants to do is turn around and leave the room to collect his thoughts alone.

But when Link is about to move, Sidon takes his arm abruptly, holding it tightly enough to keep him there. Link lets out a startled sound, turning back to finally look at him. Sidon's eyes are fixated on him, unblinking, and he finally speaks again.

“Link,” he begins, tugging slightly at the Hylian's arm. “I feel so close to remembering, but it feels like something is still missing,” his grip on Link’s arms tightens, his golden eyes glossy as he pleads. “Please tell me,  _ who  _ are you?”

He barely thinks about it - in the span of a few seconds, Link manages to get away from Sidon to grab the stasis apparatus on the nightstand. As Sidon lets out a startled sound, Link aims the light at his head, freezing him in place.

Doing this was mostly an attempt to prevent the panic from settling in. It's only natural that Sidon would ask him who he was after all this time, yet Link still isn't sure how to go about it. Perhaps he should use that time to settle down for a moment, to think about what to do...?

The portal to Sidon's memory space opens to the side. Link throws a glance towards it, a lump forming inside his throat. He had already been in there the night before, but... maybe it’s time to look inside again.

Nothing has changed overnight, he first notices. Some of his memories are still blackened out, and the block of tape is still there, untouched. There's something else though, something he's sure wasn't there before.

There's a door behind the bed. It's closed, and when Link presses his ear against it, he's sure he can hear a few unidentified sounds inside. Turning the handle slowly, he realizes the door is unlocked.

Once the door is partially opened, Link sees an entirely white room. It's mostly empty, save for the few books lying around here and there. With hesitant steps, he walks in - the floor seems much softer than the one back in the main room. It feels like walking on a mattress. Bending down, he takes one of the books in his hands. Before he can flip through it, a voice behind him startles him.

“Are you looking for something?”

His body jolts, turning around to the source of the noise. In a corner of the room he wasn't quite facing, Sidon is here, sitting against the wall.  _ What?  _ How could he be inside his own memory space? Ledo hadn't mentioned this possibility - did he even  _ know  _ about this?

There's no way this is possible, physically. So... Perhaps what Link sees is some sort of manifestation of Sidon's soul. Who knows. Everything confuses itself in Link's mind at this point.

Link is about to sign, raising his hands until he hears a voice coming from his own throat. There's no movement of his lips, yet he knows it's his voice speaking. What in Hylia's name is happening? His ability to speak is long gone, and he can't remember the last time he's heard himself talking out loud. It's like what he wants to sign is voiced as it crosses his mind.

“I’m trying to help you find your missing memories." It's so  _ strange  _ \- it seems like the memory space is the only place where he can speak like that. Not that he would've known, he didn't exactly have someone to talk with the previous times he came here.

“You will not find them,” Sidon replies, lowering his head. Something oppressing fills the room, as if the air was being drained out of it. “They are here indeed, but they have been sealed away with such determination that it is almost impossible to get them back.”

Link's throat tightens as his vision starts to blur. He walks over to Sidon kneeling in front of him and looking up at him as he holds his shoulders. Shaking them slightly to attract his eyes onto him, he takes a deep breath. If he has to say it, now is the best time to do so.

“Sidon, look at me,” his voice echoes into the room. “I love you. If I can’t find them, I’ll make you remember. Look at me, look at my face, my locket.” And the more Link speaks, the wider Sidon's eyes open. “Please remember me. We’re both fine, and I want to be with you like we were before.”

He can't count the number of times he's told him he loved him - Yet, this time his heart pounds out of his chest just like the first time he's ever said it. Despite this, he doesn't want it to be a new start - no, they never left each other and Sidon  _ has  _ to remember. His hands move higher up, almost cupping the prince's cheeks - he has to fight the urge to kiss him for now.

A loud crack resonates from the main room. Their bodies jump, Link letting out a startled sound as he looks to the door. It's silent now, though there's some sort of vibration on the floor that wasn't there before. Looking back at Sidon, he gets back onto his feet. If he walks out to look, he at least hopes the prince won't have disappeared when he comes back.

Only one thing has changed inside the room, and it's something that Link notices instantly. The seal on the wall is gone, broken and shattered onto the bed to reveal a set of words. Link walks closer to read it, the sentence written in the same blue ink as the other words in the room. The calligraphy seems to falter though, and Link can only feel his heart sinking below his chest when he reads the words inside his head.

_ My Link died. _

Of course. Of course that's what they would want to hide the most. Link had escaped death somehow though, but Sidon's very soul still seems to believe it. The thick books slip away from the shelves, falling against the carpet to reveal the many stories of him and Sidon together. There's no time for him to read - the vibrations below and around him are intensifying somehow, and Sidon is still in the other room.

That's where he rushes back, and his eyes are met with the sight of the prince still sitting against the wall. His hand is covering part of his face, the tears flowing out and dropping onto his knees.

“Why did this have to happen?” Sidon asks, his trembling voice full of grief. Link's heart aches - he wants to run to him, to take him in his arms, but the ground only shakes harder under his feet with every passing second.

“I tried so hard to not let your hand go.”

He feels like the air is being squeezed out of his lungs.  _ It's not your fault,  _ he wants to say, but the voice won't come out anymore. And he can hardly keep himself up, even more so now that an unknown force is pulling him away, tugging at his arm. He extends his hand to his immobile prince, the pain clawing at his throat as he tries to yell.

Before he knows it, he's pushed out of the memory space. He lands on the floor with a thud and a pained grunt, noticing the gate to Sidon's memory space closing on its own. The prince is still frozen in place on the bed - Link will have to undo the stasis.

But now he knows. He went in there and saw it all - whatever just happened, Link knows the seals in his mind are  _ finally  _ gone. Once he undoes the stasis, Sidon will remember everything.

He slowly aims the light at his eyes again. Before Sidon can move, he kneels onto the bed in front of him, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a warm embrace.

His face is buried in Sidon's chest, waiting patiently on the prince's awakening. It doesn't take as long as he expected - he can feel him shifting, moving to let his hands rest gently against Link's back. Nervous fingers are pressing against his skin, trembling as Sidon wraps his arms around Link in return.

Pulling away briefly, his eyes lock onto Link's own, bright and golden circles that focus on him and him only. Sidon chokes back a sob, his eyes starting to overflow with tears as he pulls Link back into a tight embrace.

This time, Link recognizes it.

_ His _ Sidon is back.

 


End file.
